


Broken but Alive

by BlueLights



Category: Captain America - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-10
Updated: 2015-05-26
Packaged: 2018-03-17 04:36:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 22,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3515594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueLights/pseuds/BlueLights
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How does one ordinary girl changes the whole world ? By being Captain America's and SHIELD's best kept secret of course.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

On September the 3rd, 1923, a young girl was born on the ship that brought her family from Europe to the United States. Her father, Louis, had been the one that took the decision to bring his family to the other side of the world. In France, he justified his decision by saying that he wanted his firstborn to have the best things life could offer, and that the new world would give the family new opportunities to make money and have a better life. What he didn’t say, was that the real reason he though best to flee Europe was because of Hitler’s recent rise to power and his place in his people’s hearts. Horrified at the news his release from prison, the frenchman had decided to leave everything behind to protect the few loved ones he had, sensing that the mad man’s hunger for power would not stop at his own country.

He booked two tickets for the journey, hopping to get to Ellis Island before his wife gave birth.  
But his wife never made it off the ship : she died at sea a few days after the premature birth of their child, a girl, who (amazingly enough) survived.  
And so Louis presented himself to Ellis Island carrying two suitcases and a baby, alone.  
He passed the medical tests and filled out the immigration papers, and was approved. He was even given a job in Brooklyn by one of the immigration officer, who knew a guy that was looking for an engineer. The pay wasn’t amazing, but it would be enough to get settled and would allow the family to get back on its feet.

That marked the beginning of the Roy’s new life. Rose (named after her father’s grandmother) was growing up to be healthy, clever baby girl, and was of course completely over-protected by her father. Following his mother’s advices, Louis homeschooled Rose with the best teachers in Brooklyn, taught her how to play violin (as he himself played), and, when they went in the countryside in summer, he also taught her to ride horses.

By the time she had turned 15, Rose was a beautiful young girl, who, while she never really got out in the city, had a quick tongue and a knack for History. Her father had been able to rise the social ladder thanks to his engineering skills, and had also been able to increase his paycheck. He had not wanted to remarry since the death of his wife 15 years ago.

The little family had everything to be happy. And yet, on Rose’s 15th birthday, there had been no cake, no candles, no music to celebrate the date as was usual. Instead, her father had locked himself up in his office with a bottle of whiskey and the newspaper of the day. Rose heard him cry from her room, and it was only in the morning, once the door had been unlocked and her father had set out for a day of work, that Rose understood why : Europe was officially at war once more.

The following months, Louis had been better : the US stil hadn’t declared war, and didn’t seem to be eager to. The worried father had (reluctantly) agreed to let his daughter in the city on her own, at the instance of his daughter and the few friends she has made at church and in dance classes.  
The first time they had been out, Rose’s friends only brought her to clothing stores and shops the girl had found boring. After a while, they worked out a compromise : Rose would go with them until she got bored, and then would wait for them in front of the shop, reading a book or something else to pass the time.

One day, as she was sitting on the shop’s front stairs, reading « Voyage au Centre de la Terre », by Jules VERNE (her favorite book, from her mother’s collection), a group of boys came and stood in front of her. She didn’t noticed them at first, too engrossed in her book, until one of them took it away from her hands.

« So, what is the french girl reading, hum ? » said the boy who had taken the book. He then proceeded to dangle the french written book in front of her, asking her why she would read it.  
« Give it back, please »  
« Let’s see… I’ll give it back… if you kiss me »  
Rose’s face fell.  
« Oh, come on french girl… a little kiss, it’s no big deal… your women back home, they are known for that, right boys ? Kissing and doing things to get something ? » said the boy, taking a few steps towards her.  
« I’m not like that, now give it back ! »  
« Oh, not like that hum ? » repeated the boy, « I say you french are all like that, acting like saints but rea… »

The boy never got to finish his sentence, as a fist came crashing down to the side of his jaw, the unexpected blow throwing him to the ground.  
Rose, startled, looked at the boy that delivered the punch. He wasn’t tall, quite scrawny in fact, his blond hair falling in front of his eyes.

« Well, Stevey boy, didn’t know you had that in ya » said a browned haired boy that was walking to his friend.  
« Are you alright miss ? » asked the blond one, Steve, handing her the book.  
« Yeah, yeah, I… yes »  
« Now » continued the brunette, « if any of you coward harasses the girl like that again, you’ll get the same thing he got » he finished, pointing to the young man that was still down, whimpering. Without any other word, the four other men took their fallen comrade and took off.

« Sooo… has anyone ever told you that a girl shouldn’t be alone on the streets ? »  
« I’m not alone, my friends, they are inside » Rose said, the grin on the brunette’s face and his tone making her want to slap him. When she turned around to show them her friends though the shop’s windows, she noticed that they had left.  
« Hmm. hmm. » continued the brunette. « Such good friends, aren’t they ? »  
Rose decided to ignore him altogether as she walked around him to get to his blonde friend, who had taken a few steps back to observe them talk.

« Thank you so much for that » said Rose, agitating the book. « It was one of my mother’s, so it really is important to me »  
« Oh, well, it’s nothing, I guess… » the boy clearly was uncomfortable, but nonetheless had a smile plastered to his face.  
« What is your name ? »  
Ho, hum, Steve miss. And yours ? »  
« My name is Rose. And, if I may ask, what is your friend’s name ? » Rose saw Steve’s smile disappear at her question. « I might have asked him directly if I wasn’t annoyed at him every time he opens his mouth, if you see what I mean… Is he always like that, by the way ? » her blabber had brought the smile back to Steve’s face  
His name is Bucky, and no, he is not always like that… just a lot of the time »  
Rose and Steve started to laugh, while Bucky, his arms crossed over his chest, was pouting.  
« Now why are at you laughing at ? Me ? »  
« Oh, I see you’re not used to it, are you ? » « Let’s say he usually is not laughed at by pretty girls… they’d rather swoon at him » said Steve with a grin  
« Well » said Rose, linking her arms with Steve’s right one « I’d have that man right there rather than a heartthrob. I hope that you don’t have trouble with it » she said that last sentence looking at Steve, whose face had turned a deep shade of red.  
« Finally punk ! A cute girl falling for ya ! And no meddling on my part at that… » added Bucky.

After a moment, all three of them started to grin at each others like fools.

 

« So… milkshakes ? »


	2. Chapter 2

From this moment on, the three young people became inseparable, one never seen without the others.  
The years passed by, and as grew up, their friendship strengthened. Rose had learned that Bucky’s smart mouth indeed had a shutting off button, and that once he really knew the young woman and trusted her, the remarks simply faded away, never to be heard again.  
When the news of an effort of war from the US to the Alliance came out, the life as the three fiends knew it changed radically. Sure, Steve and Bucky had always been saying that, should a war break out, they would enlist, but Rose never though they would become so obsessed with it…  
In 1941, Rose turned 18, and the boys 23. Bucky had already enlisted when Steve was disapproved for war for the fourth time. Rose watched helplessly as Steve and Bucky fought about whether or not he ought to try his luck again. As Bucky left to finish his date with the two girls he had brought, Rose waved him goodbye, before turning back to her blond friend. She followed him silently as he queued for the medical examination.  
« Steve… »  
He turned to her  
« Please Rose, I just… I have to do this. Just… be with me ? »  
« I’m not sure they’ll let us both in the examination room… »  
The examination officer nodded at Rose, telling the friends that if she wanted to, they could let her in with her boyfriend. At the term they just looked at each other, and neither contradicted the officer. They silently followed the man as they were led to the examination room.  
While Steve was putting his shirt back on, a nurse entered the room and whispered something to the doctor.

« Wait here »  
« Is there a problem ? »  
« Just wait here »

Rose and Steve looked at each other, a bit scarred. Steve was tying his shoes when he asked  
« Do you think… do you think they know ? »  
« Come on silly, they can’t do anything against a young man that just want to serve his country »  
Just at that moment, another officer entered the room. Steve tensed up, sitting up straight, before the curtain slid once more to reveal the form of an older man, a folder in hand.  
« Thank you » he said with an accent.  
« So » he continued, looking at Steve only, not noticing the young woman in the corner, « You want to go overseas. Kill some Nazis ».  
« Excuse me ? »  
« Doctor Abraham Erskine. I represent the Strategic Scientific Reserve. »  
« No way » said Rose in a whisper  
« Steve Rogers » both men shook hands, Erskine turning his head and noticing Rose for the first time.  
« Ah. I see you have company. Miss ? »  
« Rose. Rose Roy sir, it is an honor to meet you, I read your research papers, and your work is… amazing ! »  
« What did you prefer ? »  
« Your research on Vita Rays, sir. My research project in college came from your discoveries and theories of application. »  
« Ah. » said Erskine with a smile on her face, before turning to Rogers. « Pretty and intelligent. I like your taste in woman, young man. »  
We’re not… together, I mean, we’re friends. » corrected the young man  
Oh. What a shame. But, let’s get back to the reason of my presence here : your five tries to get into the army. So, mister Rogers, where are you from ? Is it, New Haven Or, Paramus ? Five exams in five different… »  
« It may not be the right file »  
« It's not the exams I'm interested in. It's the five tries. But you didn't answer my question. Do you want to kill Nazis ? »  
« Is this a test ? »  
« Yes. »  
Rose watched, tense, Steve at her side. She had moved next to him to face Erskine when he had mentioned the five tries, minutes ago.  
« I don't want to kill anyone. I don't like bullies. I don't care where they're from. »  
« Well, there are already so many big men fighting this war. Maybe what we need now is a little guy. »  
« Huh ? »  
« I can offer you a chance. Only a chance. » Said Erskine to Steve « And you too, if you’re interested in what I do, miss Roy ».  
« We’ll take it. » said both friends at the same time.  
« Good. »  
« So where is the little guy from? »  
« Actually. Brooklyn. »  
« Congratulations. Soldier. » said Erskine while leaving, handing Steve the recently tamponed file, while he handed Rose a paper with his phone number on it.

When Steve opened the file, at the bottom of the page, instead of the usual 4 A he used to see, now sat IA.

Both friends smiled at each other.

« I believe we have to go back home and pack now, don’t you think ? »

 

When Rose came back home, and told her father she had met Erskine and that he had offered her to work with him, he refused to let her go.  
« But, papa, it’s the chance of a lifetime ! My whole researches would be more accurate, and, working with him, it’ll give me so much opportunities after the war ! »  
« I said no ! You will not go to any research facility with that man, and you are not going to war ! It’s final ! »  
« Papa ! »  
« J’ai dis non ! I already lost your mother… I can’t lose you too… Ma puce » he said, taking Rose’s chin in his hand, « I just can’t lose you »  
« I could be an asset to him, I could help. I want to stop this madness. »  
« I know, I know you want to heal the world and make it better… Your mother was the same. »

After a night of discussion and compromise, Rose and her father agreed on the terms of her departure : he would accompany her to the training camp where Erskine was, and meet the man before any permanent decision could be made. And, should Rose be authorized to stay, she was to call and come home as soon as something would happen, or she felt something was not right.

Three days later, the Roy were in a car with Steve, and brought to the training camp.  
While Steve was led to the barracks, Rose and her father were brought to Erskine. While both men talked, Rose eclipsed herself from the room, and starting to wander in the base, watching as trucks came and left, discharging soldiers and crates.

After a while, she spotted a woman in a tailored suit, walking toward a line of men. The men had their backs to her, and she could see Steve, shorter than all the rest, standing out.  
The woman started to walk, reviewing the soldiers.  
Rose saw her lips moving, but couldn’t hear what she was saying. she got closer, just in time to hear one man questioning the legitimacy of her presence, something about an accent and signing up for the US army.  
When the man stepped forward and was hit by the woman, Rose instantly decided that liked the woman. Rose saw as the general and Erskine came in, the scientist waving at her to get by his side. the General made his speech, stopping in front of Steve. Rose heard his voice flutter when the old burly man looked at Steve, and then threw a disapproving look at the German man.

The next days happened so fast, Rose didn’t saw them go by. She had so much to do, was learning so much about Erskine’s work and the super soldier project. She met Howard Stark, working with either him or Erskine. She had her doubts as to wether or not the formula would work and create a super soldier, and started to get all the more worried when, one day, after a late night of work, Erskine told her in details how the super soldier would be created.  
« Then, we put him in the machine Stark created, and we slowly increase the amount of Vita Rays inside of the machine. It will require a lot of energy to do it, which is why the machine is in New York and not here. Here, we make the serum, away from the prying eyes and ears of Hydra and its spies. »  
Abraham… »  
Yes Rose ? »  
Is there a chance for the soldier to die ? »  
Aren’t we all going to die one day ? »  
Abraham. »  
Yes, it is a possibility. More than 30% chances of the subject to die of heart failure during the experiment if it is not done properly. »  
Is that why you picked Steve ? To put him in the machine ? »  
Yes. I wanted someone that would be better than others, kind hearted and with a brain. When I saw him, he was the only logical choice »

Rose looked at her mentor, eyes sad.

« You know I admire you. I love working with you. But I swear, on my life, if something bad happens to Steve because of this machine, I will kill you. »  
« You love him, don’t you ? » The question took Rose by surprise.  
« What ? No, we’re just… »  
« It’s very easy to see, really. I believe the only ones who don’t see it are you and Steve. »  
« Even if I was in love with him, we couldn’t… We’re best friends ! »  
« And sometimes the greatest gift the world gives us is for us to fall in love with our best friends. It will not hinder your relationship, being together. It will just… complete you. »  
« It’s not as if we’ll ever get to test this theory, doctor. » Rose said, nudging the scientific’s shoulder playfully. « He only has eyes for Peggy. »  
« I believe you got it wrong, mein kind. He do admire her, but is admiration similar to love ? »  
And, with those last words of wisdom, Erskine left the young woman alone in the lab to reflect on their conversation.

Two days later, Erskine proved his point to everyone with the grenade experiment.  
Erskine, Rose and the general were walking together (Erskine didn’t seem to want to let her leave his side)  
« You're not really thinking of picking Rogers, are you ? »  
« I am more than just thinking about it. It is a clear choice. » said Erskine, winking at Rose.  
« When you brought a modicum asthmatic onto my army base. I let it slide. I thought what the hell. Maybe he could be useful to you, like a gerbil. Never thought you'd pick him up. » They had reached Peggy and the men selected for the experiment.  
« Stick a needle in that kids arm, it's going to go right through him. »  
« Come on, girls. » said Peggy  
« Look at that. He's making me cry. »  
« I am looking for qualities beyond the physical. » said Erskine, exasperated at the general’s ranting.  
« Do you know how long it took to set up this project. »  
« Yes. »  
« All the groveling I had to do in front of Senator whats-his-name committees. »  
« Yes, I know. I am well aware of your efforts. »  
« Then throw me a bone. Hodge passed every test we gave him. He's big, he's fast. He obeys orders, he's a soldier. »  
« He's a bully. »  
« You don't win wars with niceness, Doctor. You win wars, with guts. »  
Rose watched as the general threw a grenade in the center of the men’s group, shouting « Grenade ! »  
She watched the other men scramble and Steve throw himself on the grenade, as he had been taught.  
« Get away ! » he shouted « Get back ! »  
Rose saw the look in Peggy’s face. Saw the change in the army woman as she was looking at Steve, laying there in the dirt.  
« Is this a test ? »  
« He is stil skinny » said the general, leaving Rose and Erskine smiling at one another.

The next day Erskine finally announced that Steve would be the one for the experiment. The night before they would leave for New York, the old scientist brought Rose in the barracks with him to talk to Steve.

« May I ? »  
« Yeah »  
Rose trailed in after Erskine, sitting on the bed next to Steve.  
« Can’t sleep ? »  
« Got the jitters I guess »  
« Me too. »

The three of them sat there for a moment, Rose putting her head on Steve’s shoulder, taking his hand in her own, smaller one. She had never got around the fact that, for a skinny and short guy, his hands were enormous. She had always like that about him, his hands.

She listened as Erskine told Steve the story he had already told the young woman. How he came to work for Hitler, how he fled the country after finding out Schmidt’s plans and the failure of the serum.  
« Thanks. I think » said Steve at the end of the story.  
Rose smiled in her blond friend’s shoulder.  
« Whatever happens tomorrow, you must promise me one thing. That you must stay who you are. Not a perfect soldier. But. A good man. »  
« To the little guys. » the three of them cheered.  
« No, wait, wait. What am I doing? No, you have procedure tomorrow. No fluids. »  
« All right, we'll drink it after. »  
« No, we don't have procedure tomorrow. » said the older man, pointing himself and Rose. « I don’t drink after, I drink now. »  
Both of them downed their glasses, before Erskine left the two friends alone in the barrack.  
« Steve ? »  
« Yes ? »  
« What you did, yesterday, that was… that was very brave »  
« You think so ? »  
« Of course I do silly. You’ve always been brave. And tomorrow even more so… »  
« Hey, Rosie… What’s wrong ? »  
« I just… I’m scarred, Steve. I don’t want to lose you. First Bucky leaves, then you… I was lucky to be able to come here with you, and I’m grateful, I am, I just… I just don’t want you to leave me. » the last sentence was barely audible, barely a whisper.  
« You’ll never lose me, Rose. You hear me Roy girl ? As long as I’m alive, as long as Bucky is alive, you’ll never be alone. »  
« Thank you » said Rose, getting up. She swiped her face with the back of her hand to erase the tears that had fallen on her cheeks, before bending down in front of Steve, and kissing him on the mouth. It was a chaste kiss, just a peck.  
« Goodnight, soldier. » she muttered against his lips, before kissing him once more and leaving the barack, going back to her room to get some sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> J'ai dit non : I said no  
> Ma puce : pet name, equivalent would be sweetheart  
> Papa : does it need explaining ? ;p
> 
> Mein Kind : my child


	3. Chapter 3

Rose and Erskine had left some hours ago to prep the room and check everything once more. Steve found himself riding to New York with Peggy. After a silent half an hour, the blond spoke up.

« I know this neighborhood. I got beat up in that alley. And that parking lot. And behind that dinner. »  
« Did you have something against running away ? »  
« You start running they'll never let you stop. You stand up, push back. You can't say no forever, right. »  
« I know a little of what that's like. To have every door shut in your face. »  
« I guess I just don't know why you would want to join the army. You're a beautiful dame. Beautifu..oh a woman. I mean… An agent, not a Dame. You are beautiful. »  
« You have no idea how to talk to a woman, do you ? »  
« I think this is the longest conversation I've had with a woman. Apart from Rose, I mean. The others… they’re not exactly lining up to dance with a guy that they might step on. »  
« You must have danced. »  
« Well, asking a woman to dance always seems so terrifying. And the past few years just… Didn't seem to matter that much. Figured I'd wait. »  
« For what? »  
« Right partner. Seems she had been waiting for me to ask her to dance all this time though… »

Peggy smiled. She knew he was talking about Rose. She was even jealous of the relationship the two had. She was not interested in Steve though, she merely found herself back in the young man. Both being shut out, for who and how they were, never given a chance to prove themselves… She had come to like Steve like a sister would a brother. And she really, really hoped that both he and Rose would finally see what they meant to each other. Or else, a little meddling would be required…

While they two of them were about to reach the lab, Rose was busy prepping the machine. Howard, having heard of Rose’s father reputation, had asked the man over to help him check the last details of the machinery. Father and daughter were working together once more.  
« So… you never said, how come you’re here now ? » asked Howard.  
« I met Doctor Erskine when he met Steve. Talked a little about his work, he found me competent, gave me a job. »  
« That easy ? »  
« That easy. And no, Stark, he didn’t hire me to get in my pants »  
Louis (Rose’s father) head rose from behind the console at that.  
« What now ? »

Rose’s father wasn’t physically intimidating. 6 feet tall, well built, but not as intimidating as some of the men Rose had seen working on the docks or in the fields in summer. However, he could scare a person by its composure : the calm man would stiffen, set his jaw at just the right angle and use the death stare. Results guaranteed.

« Dad ? »  
« Oui chérie ? »  
« It was just a joke, he knows I’m smarter than him. » Rose said, a hand in her father’s arm, tongue sticking out to Stark.  
« Oh, real mature » said the genius.  
« I never said I was a grown up »  
« You sure act like one most of the time. »  
« Looks are deceiving » said Rose with a smile, turning her head to the door when she heard it open. Steve was in the opening.

« Let’s get started then » said Erskine.

When the frail man was laid on the medical bed, Rose went to his side, whispering reassuring words.

The serum was pumped into Steve’s body, Erskine directing the surrounding scientists and doctors, commenting the procedures for the men upstairs.

« It is time dear »  
Rose stepped back, watching helplessly as the machine closed in on Steve. Her heartbeat was accelerating, and she could feel herself on the edge of sanity.  
« Steven ? can you hear me ? »  
« Probably too late to go to the bathroom, right ? »

Stark described the amount he was pumping through the machine. He had reached seventy when Steve’s screams could be heard. 

« Shut it down ! Shut it down » screamed both Rose and Peggy  
« Turn ot off Stark ! » Yelled Rose. As he didn’t move, waiting for Erskine’s orders to do so, Rose yelled. « Abraham I swear to God shut it down now ! »

As Erskine seemed out os his lethargy, he gave the indications to stop the procedure

« No ! » yelled Steve « Don’t ! I can do this ! »

Stark kept pushing the lever.  
« Eighty. Ninety. Reached one hundred percent »

The electric installation slowly turned down, and Stark opened the machine.

Rose was the first one to reach Steve, fussing about him, helping him stand up  
« You actually did it » kept repeating Stark and Erskine.  
The scientist smiled at Rose while Peggy asked Steve how he felt.  
« I guess I won’t die today then »  
« I’m still considering it, old man. » answered Rose with a wide smile, putting her free arm around the scientist’s waist to hug him.

That was when shit hit the fan.

Erskine was shaking hands when the observation room exploded.  
« Stop him ! » 

Two gunshots rang, one after the other.

Rose had been brought down by Steve, the now taller man covering her with his body. Neither of them saw what had happened until Steve was back on his feet, taking Rose up with him. They ran to Erskine’s side, only to find another man laying next to him : Louis. He had received one of the bullets meant for the scientist. And his sacrifice had been in vain.  
More gunshots were heard, while the two friends were still in shock, trying to process what had just happened.  
Erskine only pointed to Steve’s heart before he died, expiring his least breath just seconds before Rose’s father, the french man only telling his daughter he loved her before dying.  
« Get him » whispered Rose to Steve. « Get him »

Steve was out of the room in an instant, running through the streets to get a hold of the murderer.

Rose was still crying over the body of her father and her mentor, having taken their hands into her own, kissing their knuckles.  
When Stark tried to pried her off the bodies of the two men, she resisted, before he put both his hands around her, and raised her up, turning her to face him. Rose buried her face in Howard's shirt, crying, her hands stained with the blood of the two men she had idolized and revered.

When Steve came back, Rose was sitting in the corner of the room, a blanket around her. When he told her the man had been an Hydra agent and that he had committed suicide, she started crying again. Steve sat next to her and took her on his lap, his hand caressing her hair, the other one secured around her waist. He only allowed himself to cry when he felt her calming down and drifting to sleep.  
After some time sitting there, Steve got up, and, still cradling Rose close to his chest, walked home. The girl only woke up when they had started to climb the stairs. None of them spoke until they were laying down, face to face, on Steve’s old bed, the young man still caressing Rose’s hair.

« Steve… I don’t want you to go fighting. »  
« I won’t. »  
« Good. » 

After a while of just staring at each other, silence was broken once more.

« I don’t want to lose you… »  
« You won’t lose me »  
« Really ? Promise me. If you die, I’d rather die with you, than feel like this again »  
« What would Bucky think of that ? »  
« I… it’s not the same. I’m not in love… with James. » Steve breath hitched.  
« Well then, I promise I’ll try not to die. But you have to promise me something, too. »  
« Yes ? »  
« If I die, you live. You live for the both of us. Cause I wouldn't stand the though of the girl I love dying because of me »

They stayed awake that night, mourning the death Louis Roy and Abraham Erskine. They only fell asleep at sunrise, both falling into a dream-less slumber, relieved to escape reality if only for a few hours.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god... I'm binge writing...   
> So much in twelve hours... Thank you world for tea and muffins...


	4. Chapter 4

When Rose woke, Steve was already in the kitchen, making coffee for him, tea for Rose and pancakes for them both.

« Hi »  
« Hi »  
« How are you ? »  
« Feel just fine… the new height takes a little adjustment, the strength and speed, and sight, and breathing… »  
« Overall, your new body needs getting used to » smiled Rose over her cup of tea.  
« Are you okay ? »  
« Yes, I just… I’m gonna have to… arrange the funerals, see the… inheritance procedure… »  
« I’ll help you. »  
« I’m gonna sell the house »  
« What ? »  
« I don’t want it anymore »  
« Rose… »  
« I won’t need it either… too big for me alone… »  
« Rose ! You can’t. Not now. You are going to come with me after the funerals. You are gonna come with me, and after we win the war you will take your decision. »  
« I… You sure I can ? »  
« Yes. I’ll make sure. »  
« I… okay. »  
« Okay ? »  
« Okay »

Steve got up to stand next to Rose, hugging her from behind.  
« We’ll get through this » he says, kissing her hair.  
« Yeah… »  
Steve turned her chair effortlessly, facing her, kneeling in front of the girl.  
« I need you. And you need me. We’re in this, together. »  
« Did you really meant it ? »  
« What ? »  
« Last night. That you… that you loved me ? »  
« Yes »  
« Me too. It’s not because of your… new you… Just… just you. The fact that scrawny Steve would always be there for me, even when it was desperate. Taking on bullies and defending me… »  
The young woman put Steve’s face in her hands, resting her forehead against his.  
« Thank you » she said, kissing his cheek.  
She repeated the words, each time kissing another part of his face.  
« I love you » she said, putting her lips on his.  
« I love you too »

The two new lovers spent the day in the flat, taking comfort in the presence of each other, leaving their worries and the world behind. For a day, just one, the two of them could pretend that Rose’s father and Erskine weren’t dead.

At the end of the day, there was a knock on the door.  
Steve went to open, in his pajamas, Rose following closely behind.

« Mr. Roger, I’m John Kane, I’m here to talk to you about the tour ? »  
« Hello » said Steve, shaking the man’s hand.  
The newcomer noticed Rose behind her boyfriend’s back.  
« Could we talk somewhere private ? »  
« She stays. She is coming with me »  
« I don’t think tha… »  
« Non-negotiable. »  
« Alright. I’ll get your requests and transfer them »  
« Let’s do that »  
« So… The tour begins in a few weeks. It’ll give you enough time to take care of your affairs. You’ll be given the detailed planning of the tour with the locations as soon as we’ll finish setting it. You’ll have a costume and the girls a skirt version of it. »  
« The girls ? » asked Rose  
« Yes, the hum… the dancers, for the choreography. »  
« Choreography ? »   
Steve and Rose looked at each other.  
« Thank you sir, we’ll be ready to leave when you’ll tell us »

Rose walked John Kane back to the door, and after closing it, turned back to face Steve.  
« A choreography ? »  
« Seems so »  
« Do you need me to lend you a pair of tights ? High heels maybe ? »  
« So you think it’s funny ? »  
The two of them chased each other through the flat, giggling and crying in joy. When Steve finally caught Rose, he holstered her up on his shoulder, and gently put her on their bed, standing above her, pining her to the bed with his body, the both of them still laughing.  
« I wish we could stay here. »  
« But we can’t… you can’t. I know you, Steve. I know you won’t stand to just stand by and watch it happen. It drove you out of your mind before, will happen again. »  
Rose raised her hands to put them behind Steve’s neck.  
« You are too much of a hero to not get involved. And this is… this is what made me fall in love with you in the first place, when you handed me back my book. »  
« Since then ? »  
« And for always. My feelings for you… they are not new. They are not because of the serum’s effect. I fell in love with you. Beside, your new body is not that good »  
« Oh really ? »  
« Well… before you couldn’t pick me up and toss me like a doll… I’d don’t like the idea of you manhandling me that much » Rose said with a grin.  
« You didn’t seem to complain when I carried you yesterday. »  
« It does have its advantages. Your exterior finally matches your interior self. »  
« I like this new body »  
« Really ? »  
« Yeah… I can do this » he said, rolling them over for Rose to be sprawled on him. « And this » he said, kissing her neck. « And this » he finishes, taking her face in his hand, kissing her.

They made love for the first time that night. It was pure, and desperate, and comforting, and they worshipped each other like they’d never see one another again.

The next weeks passed rather quickly.

Rose had not one but two funerals to arrange, as Erskine had no family that would do it, and the army’s plan for the gentle old man had been less than what the young woman felt they owed him. So she took it upon herself to set up both funerals.   
She buried them on the same day.   
She held the reception at her family house in Brooklyn. She had her father’s colleagues over, along with Stark, Peggy, the general and a few military members Erskine had sympathized with. And, of course, there was Steve. Everything was a mess for the rest of the week, people coming and going from the house, concerned neighbors paying their respects and assuring the young woman that they’ll watch over the house as long as she’ll be gone.

And one night, as planned, they packed their bags. The next morning, they met with the tour’s organizers in New York, and left. At first it was fun, to see Steve acting on the stage. The girls weren’t after him, as Rose had clearly stated that he was hers, and hers alone. After some time, they were even great friends.   
After the movies, the comics and everything, Rose and Steve just wanted out. He was tired of being their « flying monkeys » as he put it, and while finding jobs whenever they went, Rose was tired of watching people treat her like nothing more than an item of decoration.  
They didn’t want to leave without the other though, so they stayed.

One day, while on a representation near the front lines (which had been the reason of an argument between the two lovers), Rose had noticed, while talking with the soldiers, that it was the 107th infantry, Bucky’s platoon.   
That day, the representation had been a disaster. No, the whole day had been a disaster : Steve had been hued and felt like he was a fraud, Rose had been called a whore and when she finally just wanted to spend a moment with Steve, she ran into the general, and soon after Peggy and Steve joined. Rose’s boyfriend looked agitated.  
« Steve, this is Bucky’s regiment »  
« I know love »  
« I need the causality list from Bolzano. » asked Steve to Philips  
« You don't get to give me orders, son. »  
« I just need one name. Sergeant James Barnes from the 107th. »  
« You and I are going to have a conversation later that you won't enjoy. »  
« Please tell me he's alive, sir. B-A-R… »  
« I can spell. »  
« I've signed more of these condolence letters today than I would care to count. But… The name does sound familiar. I'm sorry. »  
Rose suddenly had trouble breathing, she fall a few steps back, Peggy came to her side, putting her hand on Rose’s back.  
« What about the others? Are you planning a rescue mission ? »  
« Yeah, it's called winning the war. »  
« But if you know where they are, why not… »  
« They're thirty miles behind the lines. Through some of the most heavily fortified territory in Europe. We'd lose more men than we'd save. I don't expect you to understand that, because you're a chorus girl. »  
« I think I understand just fine. »  
« Well then understand it somewhere else. If I read the posters correctly, you've got  
someplace to be in thirty minutes. »  
« Yes, sir. I do. »

On his way out, Steve picked Rose up and helped her walk back to their room.  
« Are you all right love ? »  
« You are going to go get him out aren’t you ? »  
« Yes »  
« I’m coming with you until you cross enemy line. And no, you don’t have a choice. »

When Stark got the plane off the ground, Peggy, Rose and Steve in the back seats, the plan had been laid out. Howard, Peggy and Rose would go back to base after Steve had been dropped.

The night of waiting had to be the most trying hours of Rose’s existence. Not knowing whether or not her man was safe, not knowing if he would come back… When she reached General Philips tent, she heard him dictate the letter of condolences he would send her.  
«  The last surveillance flight is back. No sign of activity. » said Peggy, coming in behind Rose and squeezing the woman’s hand as she did so.  
Rose left the room when the english woman and the general started bantering, not wanting to hear any more.

She started walking down to the entrance of the camp, hoping to see something.  
when she saw a form moving in the distance, she started running toward it.

When she saw it was Steve, with Bucky alongside him, she ran even faster, hugging them both in a bone crushing embrace.  
The other men started laughing, some whistled at the display of affection, but none of the three friends seemed to mind. They continued walking, Steve and Bucky taking the head of the march once more, Rose between the two men, as they told her all about their escape and how they blew up the station.

When they arrived at camp, Rose assisted the medic team to check up the men that returned, while Steve gave the general the intel he was able to gather while in enemy’s base.

That night when they all went out to drink, Rose got back to her boys later on. She kissed Steve, earning an amazed look from Bucky.

« How the… When did you… Okay, what did I miss ? »  
As the trio was joking and laughing, Rose sitting next to Steve, Bucky on her other side, life was good. Steve had earned the recognition he deserved, Bucky was safe, and Rose was back to working in a lab with Stark.

What could go wrong ?


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Je viens m'assurer que vous reviendrez tous vivants = I'm here to be sure you'll all come back alive  
> Mille fois oui : a thousand times yes

« Excuse me. I'm looking for a Mr. Stark. »  
« He's in with Colonel Phillips. »  
« Oh, of course you're welcome to wait. I uh, Read about what you did. »  
« Oh, that…yeah. »  
« Well that's, you know… Just doing what needed to be done. »  
« Sounded like more than that. You saved nearly 400 men. »  
« Really, it's not a big deal. »  
« Tell that to their wives. »  
« Uh, I don't think they were all married. »  
« You're a hero. »  
« Well, that...you know. Tha..that depends on the definition of… »  
« And the Women of America. They owe you their thanks. And um, seeing as they're not here. »

The blonde then kissed Steve.

« Captain! We're ready for you. If you're not otherwise occupied. »  
« Agent Carter, wait. »  
« What are you going to say to Rose ? »  
« Hey, that's not what you thought it was. »  
« I don't think anything, Captain. Not one thing. Always wanted to be a soldier, and now you are. Just like all the rest. But get that clear : I have affection for Rose. If you want to have that kind of behavior then at least tell her, so that she can choose to wait or go on with her life.  
« Are you gonna tell Rose ? »  
« Tell me what ? asked the brunette, walking to them. When Steve turned his head, her face fell.  
« I see. » she said, lips tight, tone dry.  
« Well agent Carter, shall we ? » She said, leaving Steve with Stark as the other man arrived.

« Rose, at least give him a chance to explain »  
« Explain ? Explain what exactly ? How he got that lipstick on his mouth ? I don’t wear red lipstick, so did he got ahold of yours ? »  
« Rose… »  
« Are you the one who kissed him ? »  
« What ? No ! Of course not ! That would be like you, kissing Bucky : never gonna happen ! »  
« Good. Then I believe the blonde private and I are gonna have a little chat. » Rose hold up a gun she picked up from a nearby rack. « Do you mind if I borrow this ? »  
« Do you know how to use it ? »  
Rose readied the gun, putting in the bullet and arming one in the canon.  
« Okay » said Carter.

Both women walked out their alcove in the basement.  
« Are you quite finished, Mr. Stark ? » asked Peggy  
« I'm sure the Captain has some unfinished business » continued Rose.  
« What do you think ? »  
Both women looked at each other, Peggy giving the younger woman permission with a look. Rose shot two bullets at Steve, who raised his shield to protect himself.  
« I think it works » she said, before walking off to have her chat with the private upstairs, leaving both men stunned.

« Hello »  
« Hi »  
« So what’s your name ? »  
« Who are you ? »  
« Doesn’t matter yet love »  
« Private Lorraine miss. »  
« Well, private Lorraine, I have a question to ask you. Do you know what this baby does ? » asked Rose, showing the gun she had borrowed from agent Carter to the blonde.  
« Not really. It shoots, that’s all I care about »  
« This firearm shoots, yeah. But you see, it’s not a clean shot. The bullet gets in quite nicely, the ways it comes out though… big gaping hole… Now tell me private Lorraine, did you happen to kiss Captain Rogers today ? »  
« Who ? »  
« Our national icon, Captain America. You don’t know his name ? »  
« No, I don’t, and yes, I happened to have kissed him earlier today, in thanks for his service and the way he brought back 400 men. »  
« Right. And did you know he has a girlfriend ? »  
« Yes, I heard that »  
« Well, you see, that girlfriend is me. Next time you want to kiss a man who you know has someone, make sure the girl doesn’t have access to guns like this… Or that she knows how to use them. »

Peggy had watched the exchange with a smile, and both women left the building chatting about the new project Howard had going on and the new strategic moves the Alliance had devised.

_____

 

« You what ? »  
« We are gonna go on missions to destroy the Nazis’ outposts, so that… »  
« I got that. The part I didn’t really get was how a group of seven men is going to do that. Besides, you’ve got no medic, no scientist on the team. »  
« Rose, you’re not… »  
« Hell yes I am. We let Bucky go without us once and we find him on the brink of death. If I let you both go, I’m not sure you’ll ever come back to me. I come, and that’s final. If only so you can have one more shooter with you. »  
« I don’t think General Philips will… »  
« I don’t care about Philips ! The bloody Queen couldn’t make me stay behind ! » yelled the brunette.  
« You promised me that… »  
« I promised that should you fall I had to live. I never promised to let you go off to war without a medic when I am capable of filling the spot. You don’t want me on the missions ? Fine. But I’m going with you, and that’s final. »  
« Rose… I just… I can’t lose you. I just can’t ! »  
« Then you know how I feel »  
« I want you safe, not on the battlefield, not so near enemy lines »  
« Well then tell me, who better than Captain America to protect me ? »  
Rose… you don’t… I… can we both think about it ? »  
Oui bien sur mon coeur »  
I didn’t understand a word of what you just said… but I love when you speak french »  
I said, of course my love. » Rose raised her hands, hooking one behind Steve’s neck, and putting the other on his jaw. « Now let’s get to bed, right ? »

The two spent the night cuddling, Steve fast asleep with his arms around the young woman beside him. Around midnight though, Rose woke up and couldn’t get back to sleep. She got up, careful not to wake Steve, and, putting on a pair of boots and Steve’s long coat, she went to the bar they had been to earlier on. She went behind the counter to grab a bottle of whiskey and a glass, and sat by the counter.

« I didn’t knew ladies drank that »  
« Hi. You are one of the Howling Commandos, right ? »  
« Yes. Who told you ? »  
« Steve. You are Falsworth, right ? James Montgomery Falsworth. »  
« Yes. And I presume you are Rose ? »  
« Yes. »  
The rest of the team got out of the shadows, sitting next to Rose and Falsworth.  
« Let’s see… Dugan » said Rose to the one on her left « Morita » she pointed at the man the farthest on her left « Dernier » she pointed to the man that had walked behind the counter « Jones ». She pointed to the last man, while Bucky had come behind her, and rested his hands on her shoulders. « Did I got it right ? »  
« Yes, Rose. A+. » said Bucky jokingly.  
« So, what are you doing here, mademoiselle ? » asked Dernier  
« Je viens m’assurer que vous reviendrez tous vivants »  
« Oh, another frenchie then » said Jones, while Dernier smiled at her.  
« Yes, my parents emigrated before the Fuhrer rose to power. But I’m not only here to drink » she continued, downing her glass of whiskey. « I came to ask for your support »  
« About what ? »  
« Me coming with you. »  
« What ? » asked Bucky, his hands stopping on Rose’s back.  
« You don’t have a medic. I’ve helped here and there, and I’ve studied biology. Also, I have a mean aim. Another shooter on the team can’t harm you. »  
« I’m good with the idea » said Dugan  
« Me too » said Jones and Morita  
« Alright then. 3 to 4. Bucky, Falsworth, Dernier, what do you think ? »  
« I don’t want you to get shot »  
« I won’t. I’ll stay behind, never in danger, but keeping an eye on you all. »  
« Then I approve » said Falsworth.  
« Dernier ? »  
« It will be an honor to fight beside a woman like you, Rose. »  
« Bucky ? what do you think ? »  
« What did Steve say ? »  
« He said he’ll think about it. »  
« Can’t you wait here ? »  
« And watch you leave for months on end, not knowing if it’s the last time I’ll ever see you ? »  
« I’ll stick with Steve » said Bucky, sighing.  
« Alright. So… Whiskey, anyone ? »

When the sun came out, Steve woke up without Rose by his side. He got dressed, and, asking if anyone had seen Rose, he was directed toward the bar.  
When he walked in, he saw his commando and his girlfriend, heads resting on the counter, all fast asleep, empty bottles of alcohol in front of them. Smiling, Steve carried Rose back to their room, and laid back down with her to watch her sleep, caressing her hair, trailing kisses on her face. She woke up a couple of hours after, smiling sleepily at her soldier.

« Hello sleepy head »  
« Hello » she yawned, Steve chuckling beside her.  
« What ? »  
« You smell like whiskey »  
« Oh » Rose blushed « I drank some last night, with the team. »  
« I saw that yes »  
« Steve ? »  
« Yes love ? »  
« Have you been thinking about what we talked about last night ? »  
« Yes. »  
« And ? »  
« As long as you promise me to be cautious, and obey me if I tell you to leave, then it’s alright. »  
« Thank you » said the young woman, hugging Steve.

They stayed like that for a few minutes laying on the bed intertwined together, before Steve spoke up.

« Rose ? »  
« Yes ? »  
« Will you marry me ? »  
The brunette’s had shot up, looking into Steve’s eyes. She hesitated for a moment, before smiling.  
« Okay. When ? »  
« Hum… When the war is over ? »  
« Why not now ? »  
« Now ? I think it’ll be hard to plan »  
« Why ? There is a cook, we have a few supplies, it doesn’t matter if we don’t have the biggest wedding cake ever. Our friends, some champagne, a good meal, that is all we need. »  
« What about your wedding dress ? »  
« Steve » Rose said, kissing him « I’d marry you in a potato sack. As long as we’re together, I don’t care what we wear »  
« For the ring… »   
« We could borrow some for the ceremony »  
« I think I’ve got this covered » said the blond man, smiling. Then, from one of the drawers of his night stand, he retrieved a black box. « Your father gave it to me when we left for camp. »  
« Steve, is that… »  
« Your mother’s wedding ring. I’d also like you to wear my mother’s, which is why… » he then opened the box, two rings sitting next to one another. « Rose Isabelle Roy, will you marry me ? »  
« I think we already stated that » said Rose in a playful tone and a smile on her face. « Oui. Mille fois oui ! »


	6. Chapter 6

When newly engaged couple had come out of their room and went to grab something to eat in the canteen, Rose had been wearing Steve’s mother wedding ring. They had agreed that, because it was a solitaire, it was more suited as an engagement ring than Rose’s mother wedding ring, with was made of a thin ban of white gold, a blue sapphire and a few small diamonds around the biggest gem.  
Bucky, of course, had been the first one to notice it.  
« Rose, what… » his face changed when he got a better look at her hand « Oh God. When ? »  
« This morning ! »  
« For real ? »  
« I really hope she isn’t going to change her mind » said Steve, kissing his fiancee’s hand.  
They walked to the table where Peggy and the other member of the commandos were seated, the 5 men still hungover from last night : while Rose had been reasonable, they drank a lot more.  
« Well, guys, Steve and I have something to tell you »  
« You’re pregnant ? » asked Dugan  
« No, Dugan. However I hope it’ll come next. »  
Rose giggled.  
« We » she said, raising her hand « are going to get married »  
« Finally ! » said Peggy  
« Happy for you captain » said the team members.

Breakfast was spent telling childhood stories, as well as the ones about lovers and family.  
Peggy and Rose took a minute to see the agenda and decided to plan the wedding for the next time the team would be reunited here, after the destruction of Hydra’s weapon factories.

Two days later, the team left for their mission.

They spent almost four months moving, taking down each base after the other. None of them had been seriously injured during the assaults, but Rose had more than once been left in charge of the men they freed, as well as responsible of communications between the base and the team.

When they received news about Hydra shipping a weapon by train to one of their main base in the mountains, Steve had devised a risky but absolutely genius plan.  
Rose would stay behind with the rest of the team, while Bucky, Steve and Jones would board the train, take the Hydra agents out, and destroy the weapon.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary as they left, Steve planting a kiss on his the brunette’s mouth, his blue eyes staring into her green ones.  
« Be safe » she whispered against his lips, as was their ritual.  
She then kissed Bucky on the cheek, hugging Jones as she heard the train approaching.

The rest of the team then went back to the camp, waiting for their friends to come back.

When Steve and Jones entered the tent, Zola in shackels, they looked defeated and sadness marred their features. Rose went to hug them, completely oblivious to Zola’s presence.  
« Are you hurt ? »  
« Rose… Rose I need you to sit down »  
« Gabe, are you alright ? Jones ? »  
« Yeah Rose, yeah… »  
« Steve, where is Bucky ? »  
« Rose, sit. »

When Zola started to laugh maniacally, Rose sat back on her chair, eyes wide.

« No… no no no no no no… » the young woman kept repeating.  
The rest if the team went to her, standing around her like a protective cocoon, Steve kneeling in front of her.  
« He died to save me. »  
« He did ? » said Rose in between sobs.  
« Yeah. Came to my rescue, like always… This time the bully was too strong… »

Rose stood up at that, and went to the coms system.

« Howling Commando to base, do you copy ? »  
« Howling Commando, this is base » Peggy’s voice rang through the tent.  
« Coming back with a package »  
« Alright Commando. Any casualties ? »  
The team sucked in a breath at the agent’s words.  
« One down, 6 men to go… » said Rose, her voice breaking. « Margaret… » she continued in a whisper « Bucky’s not coming back ». She let the com down then, before leaving the tent to go tend the last details of their departure.

When they reached base, Rose had not uttered a word since the communication with Peggy.

When Steve left after the debrief, no one followed him. The Commando stayed in the room, in silence. They were all sitting down, waiting. When the last person that wasn’t one them left the room, removing the last piece that was on the map at the center of the table, Rose put her head in her hands.  
When she started crying, the men left their seats to come comfort her. No word was needed, they simply put their on her back, on her hair, and let her know they were there.  
After a while she got up, smiled at her friends through her tears, and went to follow Steve. She knew were he would be : in the bar they had last been together.

« I’m going after Schmidt » she heard the Man with a Plan say « I'm not going to stop 'til all of Hydra is dead, or captured. »  
« And we’ll be there » Rose said, walking to Peggy and Steve.

 

The next morning, in the debrief room, General Philips gave the Commando the content of their last mission.

« Johann Schmidt belongs in a bug house. He thinks he's a god and he's willing to blow up half the world to prove it. Starting with the U.S.A. »  
« Schmidt's working with powers beyond our capabilities. He gets across the Atlantic. He'll wipe out the entire eastern seaboard in an hour. »  
« How much time we got ? » asked Jones  
« According to my new best friend, under twenty four hours. » answered Philips.  
« Where is he now ? »  
« Hydra's last base is here. In the Alps. Five hundred feet below the surface »  
« So what are we suppose to do ? » asked Morita « It's not like we can just knock on the front door. »  
« Why not ? That's exactly what we're going to do. »

When Steve suited up to go on the mission, Rose was with him, helping him put on his shield’s straps on his back.  
« Promise me to be careful and not do anything crazy »  
« I promise I’ll try »  
I love you Steve »  
I love you too Rose » he kissed her forehead, before putting her in a hug.  
I’ll see in a couple of hours then »  
See you soon love » said Steve before walking out of the room, climbing on the motorcycle Stark and Rose had put together, and going off to face Schmidt.

As soon as he was out of sight, Rose ran to Peggy.  
« Peggy, I need to come with you »  
« What ? Rose, I thought you’d stay here »  
« I know, but I have a bad feeling about this whole thing. I have to come. »  
« Alright. But you’ll be with the General and I, okay ? I’m not going to have you killed on my watch. »  
« Thank you Peggy. I promise I won’t get killed. »  
« Good. You’ll be part of the assault team, with me. You stay with me at all times, you don’t wander off to find Steve, and if I’m down, you hide and you wait till you see one of the Howling Commando, clear ? »  
« Yes ma’am » smiled Rose.  
When the assault team got ready, Rose followed Peggy as a duckling would his mother. Philips did make some remarks about having two « pig-headed women » with him, but it didn’t scare Rose off. She was determined to go with them, and make sure Steve wouldn’t do something brash.

When the General yelled at the team to move on and get to the base, Peggy and Rose followed suit, the British agent ahead of the younger frenchwoman. They ran through the base, taking Hydra soldiers out, taking extra care of not being shot.  
When both women shot down a man with an gas tank strapped to his back, throwing fire, they met with Steve.  
« You’re late » he said to Peggy, before noticing Rose.  
« I should have known you wouldn’t let me go alone »  
« Damn right » said Rose, kissing the super soldier.  
« Hum… » interrupted Peggy. « Weren’t you about to… »  
« Right » said Steve, before running to his shield, the door it maintained open closing after him.  
« Well » said Peggy, turning to Rose « That was hot »  
Both women laughed, before following the corridor, Rose breaking her promise and running after a group of soldiers, Peggy yelling at her to come back, before speeding after the General.  
Rose saw the soldiers shoot down the three Hydra member that attempted to board the plane after Schmidt. While the men yelled at her to stay put, she ran to the ladder and climbed in the plane after Schmidt. The young woman hid in one of the plane’s nook, waiting for something to happen. When she saw the Hydra agent running passed her, she grabbed the last and choked him. Not long enough for him to die, just pass out. She tied him up with some wire and left to follow the other ones. She heard a commotion ahead of her, and ran toward the sound. She saw Steve open the launching gate, and being attacked by two hydra soldiers. She raised the small gun she had ‘’borrowed’’ from Peggy, and shot one, Steve taking the other out with a punch.  
« Rose ! What are you doing on this plane ? »  
« Making sure you stay alive ! »  
Steve then jumped on one of the Hydra agent that had jumped inside his own mini plane bomb, before the pilot opened the launching trap, falling with Steve and the other Hydra fighting still fighting on the machine. Rose then turned around, and walked in direction of the cockpit.  
She felt the beams being fired, and knew Steve had been able to get control of the flying machine. She heard as he crashed back into the cargo bay, and waited for him in front of the cockpit door.  
Ready, love ? »  
I’m going in first Rose. I’ll tell you if it’s safe. »

Steve pushed the door and entered the cockpit. He had left the door ajar, and Rose saw the Red Skull before Steve.

« Look out ! » she yelled, buying Steve enough time to roll and protect himself with his shield.  
« You bring a woman to do a man’s work ? » asked Schmidt.

Rose watched, helpless, as Steve and Schmidt fought. She held on to the pillar next to her as the plane went down, before it was stabilized enough to stand on two feet.

When the man disintegrated, Steve ran to Rose, picking up his shield in the process, asking her if she was alright, before both of them went to the control panels. They both read the screens, and looked at each other in fear.  
« Steve… »  
« Come in this is, Captain Rogers. Do you read me ? »  
« Captain Rogers, what is your… »  
« Steve is that you, are you all right ? »  
« Great, Schmidt's dead. »  
« What about the plane ? »  
« That's a little bit tougher to explain. »  
« Give me your coordinates I’ll find you a safe landing site. »  
« There's not going to be a safe landing. »  
« Steve’s right Peggy »  
« Rose? What are you doing there ? »  
« Long story. But we can’t land. The plane… it’s going too fast »  
« And it's heading for New York. » finished Steve. « I gotta put her in the water. »  
« Peggy… right now we’re in the middle of nowhere. If Steve waits any longer a lot of people are going to die. »  
« Peggy. »  
« Yes Rose ? »  
« You ere going to be a wonderful bridesmaid, you know ? »  
« Rose… It’s just a delay, okay ? We’ll meet, next week, right ? To get the cake and the dresses ?»  
« Peggy ? » Steve asked  
« Yes Steve ? »  
« Put us together. When you’ll find us. »  
« Goodbye Peggy. » said Rose in a soft voice, turning the coms off.  
The young woman turned to her fiancee.  
« It’s a bit Romeo and Juliet, don’t you think ? »  
« This ? »  
« Yeah… Dying together instead of living a life if loneliness… »  
« If you had listened to me… »  
« I would have died of grief. »  
Rose kissed Steve’s neck, hugging him from behind.  
« I love you, Steven Grant Rogers. And even if we didn’t made it official, I promised you forever, didn’t I ? »  
« I love you too, Rose. »

When they crashed, there was no pain. Just the cold, the water flooding the plane. Steve managed to grab a hold of Rose, and he closed his eyes with his arms around his fiancee.

 

70 years later…

« Sir ? We found them »


	7. Chapter 7

Steve couldn’t believe it.

He had slept for 70 years. 70 years…  
The last thing he remembered was putting the plane down and grabbing Rose before blacking out… and then he woke up in this strange place, and learned he had slept for 70 years…

When he had asked about Rose, if they found a girl with him in the Valkyrie, he had hoped she would have survived, just like he did.  
Instead… Instead, a man sat him down, a sad look on his face, handing him his fiancee’s engagement ring.

He felt as if his heart had been ripped out of his chest when they told him that he had been alone. When he started to ask why, how they couldn’t have found anyone with him, they told him that he had only survived thanks to the serum… the fact that Rose didn’t had it made it impossible for them to even consider that she might have survived.

He forced himself to keep on going, respecting the promise they had made each other.  
Each day hurt.  
Every morning, when he woke up and rolled on his side, he expected to find her there. But she wasn’t, and after a moment of confusion, he would remember, and try not to cry.  
The first week he had to force himself out of the bed, and move around in the room. He left the room on the third week, going to the gym. He found that working out helped him exteriorize his emotions and kept him from wanting to destroy the place. For the next couple of month, he would be found either in the gym or his room, exercising or trying to learn more about the decades he had missed. He would try not to think about Rose, but somehow his thoughts would always lead him back to her. The fact that her body hadn’t been found in the plane with him kept bugging him, even after the scientists’ assured him that it would have been impossible for her to survive the crash and the cold, using the ring as proof of her death.

It had been easier after New York. Learning about gods and aliens had been a shock to the man, and sent him once more thinking about the lost love of his life. He didn’t had the courage to tell Natasha that Rose was the reason he didn’t want to go on dates…  
Didn’t had the courage to tell anyone about her, in fact. Tony knew, because during one of his « let’s try to find embarrassing things about Rogers » session, he had found some old documents from his father : photographs of the Howling Commando, of Steve and his father laughing about something, of Erskine, smiling to a young, beautiful girl, who he found on some other pictures looking at the Captain with a lovesick gaze, the soldier looking at her with the same look… He also found his father’s journal from the period, and noticed that in quite a lot of entries, Howard mentioned a girl, Rogers’ lover… In an entry dated from 1945, around the time the Captain was frozen, he found a picture of the Howling Commando, Peggy Carter, Howard, Steve and Rose, the young woman smiling, hands intertwined with Steve’s, the other around the mid section of agent Carter… the names of every person on the picture were written on the back, and a simple sentence described the picture : ‘a wedding to plan’.

Stark came to the man, simply handed him the picture, saying he would be there if he needed to talk… Tony then drank a whole bottle of vodka, Steve sipping on his glass of whiskey, listening to the genius ranting on about lost love and unfair destinies…

When Steve went to bed that night, he dreamed of Rose. Of what they could have been if he hadn’t had to put the Valkyrie down… he dreamed of the way they would have held the wedding, of the lives they would have led, of the way Rose would have glowed, her belly round with their child… 

When he woke up and, like every morning since that room in New York, remembered that she wasn’t there, for the first time in a long time, Steve cried.

 

______________________________________________________________________________

Elsewhere…

Somewhere in a military base, in a white room full of medical furnitures, sat a bed occupied by a browned haired girl. She was monitored with about half a dozen machines, an IV in her arm injecting nutrients into her body as well as a sedative, and sometimes drawing blood, stored in little tubes on a shelves near the door. On the farthest corner of the room was a cryogenic machine, obviously used frequently to hold the room’s occupant.

When she woke up, it had been unexpected.  
It took the base’s team by surprise when the beeping starting ringing in the surveillance room, then in the whole base. 

The girl had opened her eyes and realized she didn’t knew the place she was in. She took the room in, before ripping the IV out of her arm. When she tried to get up she fell, her legs weak from having laid down for a long time.

As she tried to get back up, a man and two women entered the room, two of them maintaining her while the third was preparing a syringe.

« Please don’t do this… Please… please let me go ! »  
« I’m afraid that as long as you refuse to cooperate we won’t be able to let you go »  
« Please don’t do it… »  
« Sorry sweetheart » said one of the nurses, plunging the syringe through the young girl’s arm. As she her body went limp, the two supporting her put her back on the bed, putting the IV back into the catheter still in the crook of her elbow…  
« You can’t keep… doing this… »  
« No one knows you are still alive. Of course we can » said the man  
« He’ll find me… Bucky… he knows… I saw him once… you can’t keep us both… »  
« You’ll find that life is easy when nobody remembers who they are or are kept in cryo sleep »  
The girl was more and more out of it, but she smirked at him before her eyes fluttered close.

« That was close. »  
« She can not escape. Not now. »  
« She keeps waking up more and more often, the sedative having less and less effectiveness… »  
« We could… we could let her with the children. Threaten them to keep her in check. »  
« I’ll speak about it with the higher authorities. In the mean time, keep her in check. » the man stormed off the room, leaving both women with the asleep girl.

 

« Subject 102… » said one of the nurses « I wonder who she really is… »


	8. Chapter 8

« Sir, we have a problem »  
« What is it now ? »  
« Subject 102, she keeps on waking up, there is no pattern, no way to know what she’ll do next… »  
« And you come to me for… »  
« I think I found a way to keep her in check. »  
« We have something. We call it cryogenic chambers. »  
« No, I mean, something to stop her trashing around and trying to escape »  
« Continue » said the man, leaning his head on his hands.  
« Well… we know she has a caring personality. If we let her in with the children, maybe we could use them to control her. Threaten to harm them to ensure her compliance. We could even let the Winter Soldier in, too… as another lever. »  
« I like your idea… We’ll try it. When the next mission is over, I’ll decide to involve the children or not. »  
« Thank you sir »

 

The next morning, the woman was led into a room where a man, with a metal arm and long brown hair in front if his face, was sitting on a chair, in the middle of the room. He was obviously eyeing her behind the hair strands.  
When the guards left, an locked her in, the young woman walked carefully toward the man. As he didn't react to her standing so close to him, she pushed the strands away from his face, and sucked in a breath.

« Bucky… »

When she spoke, the man suddenly pinned her to the ground with his body, a hand to her throat.

« Who are you ? »  
« Bucky, please »  
« I don’t know you ! »  
« Yes, you do ! You’ve known me for a long time »  
« No ! » he said, getting up, still holding the brunette by the throat, the girl desperately gripping his arms with both her hands to try not to suffocate.  
« James… Buchanan… Barnes… »  
At her words, Bucky froze, looking at her in shock.  
« What ? »  
« Your… name… James, Buchanan… Barnes »

He let her go this time, opening his hand, the young woman falling down, coughing.  
He stepped back a few meters, before coming back toward her once more, helping he girl up.

« I know you ? »  
« Yes »  
« From where ? »  
« When we were children… teenagers. You and another boy… we were friends.  
« I see you, in here » said Bucky, tapping his head « but I can’t… I don’t remember »  
« Oh Bucky… What did they do to you ? »  
She had just finished asking her question when the men who brought her in and another one, a grey haired man wearing a suit, came back inside the room.  
« Take her back »  
« No ! »  
Bucky moved to get in front of her, but when the guards raised their weapons, he froze, standing still, waiting for them to make the first move : either shoot or stand down.  
« It’s ok Bucky. » said the young woman, going back to the others’ side, away from him, a hand on his cheek as she spoke. « It’s all gonna be ok. I promise. I won’t loose you again »  
Two guards took her by the arms, walking her out of the room. They were almost through the door when Bucky spoke up again.  
« Wait ! Who… who are you ? »  
The young woman, looked back at her old friend over her shoulder, tears streaming down her cheeks.  
« Don’t answer him » said the man in the suit, eying her with an evil look. The brunette ignored the warning.

« I’m Rose. »

The man walked toward her, and backhanded her. Bucky ran to the man and sent him flying to the wall with his metallic arm, the guards shooting at him. He fell down on his knees at Rose’s feet, the girl crying as she too fell to her knees in shock. She noticed that they hadn’t shot him with bullets, but tranquilizing shots. It relieved her to know he wouldn’t die, but knowing he would be unconscious, at their hands… it made her shudder

« I’m so sorry… Bucky please stay awake… »  
« Sorry… see you soon… Rosie » he said with a smile, before falling down.

Rose was in shock. He had called her Rosie, what he and Steve would call her sometimes, the only two people, with her dad, that she would let call her that…

She put his head on her knees, maneuvering so he would be back to the floor and not lay on his stomach, while the men carried the grey haired one out of the room, unconscious from the blow Bucky had delivered him.  
They locked the room once more after them, leaving Rose alone with a sleeping Bucky.

She caressed his hair with her right hand, the other resting on his chest, until she, in turn, fell asleep, the events of the day catching up with her.


	9. Chapter 9

« Run ! »  
« I’m not leaving without you ! »  
« I’ll follow, just run ! »

And she does. She runs until her lungs hurt, until she collapses on the ground, her legs not carrying her weight anymore. She expects him to be behind her. She expects him to grab her arm and force her to run until he finds a place he deems safe enough.

But she never hears the sound of someone running after her. She doesn’t feel the hand on her arm. She ran, like he told her to, so very sure that he would follow, just like he said he would. But he didn’t follow, because if he did, he would have been there.

Breaking the deafening silence, one more gunshot rings in the air.

Rose looks back to where the shot came from, and pushes herself back on to her legs. She throws one last glance in direction of the camp, before she starts walking again, a hand on the wound in her side from where a lost bullet grazed her earlier.

She can’t see where she walks to, her eyes full of tears, the tiny droplets falling to her cheeks.

« I’m sorry » she whispers, to herself and no one in particular. « I’m sorry, I’m sorry… » the words come out like a mantra, between sobs. She stops when she reached a clearing, the sudden brightness of the sun now that the rays aren’t filtered by the leaves blinding her for a moment. Her legs give out once more, and she allows herself to let go.

« It’s all my fault » her voice breaks when she says the word. « It’s all my fault… »

 

4 DAYS EARLIER…

When the door if the white room opened, Rose was still asleep. Bucky, however, was alert, and crouched in a protective stance in front of the young woman when he heard the knob moving. He gently shook her shoulder as the grey haired man from the previous day comes in the room. Rose stood up, Bucky’s hand on her arm, as the man looked at them in disgust and anger.

« Get back, soldier »  
« No »  
« As you wish »   
He said with malice, before a guard handed him some sort of taser, which he fired up and shot Bucky with. The young man fell to the floor, the higher than normal voltage sending him withering at the feet if the man, who turned to Rose.  
« Now, miss Roy, I’ll make you regret disobeying my orders »  
He had signaled to the guards outside the room to take her, and they strapped her to the chair in the center of the room, her trashing useless. She was defenseless against them, and Bucky, still in pain on the cold floor, could not do anything but watch. Another man had come in then, wearing a black uniform. He saluted the grey haired man, who whispered something to his hears before leaving the room. The younger man’s face had lit up, and he was now grinning from ear to ear.

« Let’s see… »  
The man had said, caressing Rose’s skin with a scalpel he had taken from a tray one of the guards were holding.   
« Where should we start ? »   
« Don’t … touch … her » had managed Bucky through gritted teeth  
The man had simply watched him, an amused smile on his lips.  
« Or else ? »  
« Leave him be »  
« You really can’t wait, can you ? » he had said then, cutting Rose’s collarbone with the scalpel, the blood staining her white shirt, as she hissed in pain.  
« I’ll make you scream until your voice is broken » he had promised her.

And he had. For 3 days, he had tortured her, making breaks only to drink and eat. All the while, Bucky had been tasered, forced to watch Rose being tortured. Even if she was screaming from the pain, she never gave him the satisfaction to see her breaking down. She didn’t cry, she didn’t sob. She screamed, and screamed, and screamed, and when he wasn’t slicing her flesh in small, precise cuts, hitting her or electrocuting her, she was looking at him, her eyes daring him to keep going, as if silently asking « Is that the best you’ve got ? ».

After two days, he put all his toys down, the man holding the tray replaced by a console a long time ago.

« I’ve got to say, you really hold your own. »  
He was washing his hand in the bowl of water on the console, carefully rinsing the tools in afterwards, before putting them, almost religiously, back on the metallic tray.  
« It will be… rewarding when I finally break you » he said, taking Rose’s chin in his hand.  
She spit at him then, a mix of blood and saliva, landing straight to his cheek. He raised a hand to his face, wiping it with his glove, before smiling and backhanding her.  
« I don’t know why he wants you alive… It would be so much more rewarding for me to just lead you toward a slow, painful death… But, life doesn’t always go as we want it. What a shame… »  
He left Rose’s side then, kicking Bucky in the stomach before exiting the room. A nurse entered the room as he was leaving, liberating Rose from her restrains, treating her injuries, and applying some sort of weird looking salve onto her cuts. The encounter lasted a good 15 minutes, in complete silence. Once the woman had left the room, Rose got up, her legs wobbling at first, and went to Bucky’s side, letting him up as best as she could, bringing him to lay down on the examination chair. He was till pretty much out of it, has he had been tasered non-stop for the last two days. Once she checked his breathing and made sure he wouldn’t die while resting, Rose climbed to the chair and nestled herself next to him, her head on his chest.   
It wasn’t ling before her tears soaked his shirt, her hand gripping her friend’s side like a lifeline.

« I’m sorry » she said, her voice muffled by Bucky’s shirt « I am so sorry… »

She though she was imagining him moving, before she felt his hand in her hair, the familiar gesture pushing her to raise her head and look at him with teary eyes.

« It’s alright Rose. »  
« Buck… are you okay ? »  
« Yes » he answered, chuckling lightly, before frowning  
« What is it ? »  
« I think… I remember… some images, here and there… Where we… before… I remember… a house, a big weird bed, you, and me, and someone… »  
« Yes, when we were younger, we used to have sleepovers »  
« We weren’t that young… »  
« No, we weren’t… We met when I was 15. You and Steve were 18. The sleepovers… we even had some during the missions, you know. »  
« The missions ? »  
« Yes. We were on a special commando, and sometimes, after missions, we would bundle up, the three of us, and just sleep like that… » Rose smiled at the memories.  
« Really ? »  
« Yes. Everyone thought it was weird »  
« Why ? »  
« Well, a girl, sleeping with two boys… People though it wasn’t proper. »  
« Where is he ? The other guy ? The… scrawny one ? » asked Bucky out of the blue  
Rose smile disappeared at his words, and her eyes filled with tears once more.  
« I don’t know » she said, her voice barely a whisper.

He didn’t say anything after that, just kissed her hair, his hand drawing circles on Rose’s back.   
He didn’t know what to say to comfort the girl he barely remembered. Sometimes he had flashes, memories resurfacing, of her, of men in a camp, of a blond boy running in the streets, the same boy in a fight, of the three of them joking… Deep down he knows that he knew her, the protectiveness he feels toward her clearly shows that he cares about her.

For the first time since they had him out of the box, he doesn’t know what to do. What if she is his next mission ? What would he do then ? He knows he has to obey, but will he be able to kill her ? He looks down at her, that little woman who turned his life upside down ever since she stepped into his room, and he knows that, whatever the cost, he will protect. He made his decision, right here and there, while Rose is falling asleep, blissfully unaware of the thoughts that plague him.

Whatever the cost, whatever he may have to do, he’ll keep her safe.

And so, when the man that tortured her stepped into the room a couple of days later, he chose to act. He took the man out, which had been easy because he was taken by surprise, and rushed through the open door, Rose following him. He managed to take out all the guards they encountered, not even slowing down to do so. But when, after taking a left that would lead them to one of the fire exits, he saw the dozen of guards running through the facility he knew he would have to choose.

« Bucky. »  
« I want you to run Rose. »  
« Bucky… »  
« At my signal… NOW ! »

And so they ran. They managed to get to the door, on the other side on the corridor crowded with the enemies before the guards could take a clean shot. Rose had opened the door, and they ran to the tree line, the sounds of combat boots running behind them.

They took cover behind a tree as the guards started to deploy to search the area, determined to find them.  
« Rose. You need to run. »  
« No. »  
« Run ! »  
« I’m not leaving without you ! »  
« I’ll follow, just run ! »

The memories of the last couple of days fade from Rose’s mind, her vision is swarming because of the blood loss. The adrenaline has come down, and she feels the pain in her side. She is going into shock, and she knows it.  
« I’m sorry » she whispers once more « I’m sorry… »

Her vision goes black, and she falls down, welcoming the oblivion.


	10. Chapter 10

Rose’s eyes shot open. She knows she shouldn’t have, what with Hydra and all the shit going down at the moment, but she can’t help herself. Her head feels like it’s been trampled on by a horde of elephants, and her side isn’t painful anymore. 

« Oh, hello there ! » says a voice as another almost shouts an « You’re awake ! » that pierces Rose’s ears.  
In front of her, the owners of the two voices, a boy and a girl, are looking at her with wide grins.  
Something rings, and the boy takes out a strange, lanky device out of his pocket, and answers it.  
« Sir ? Yes, it’s Fitz, how did it go ? Ok. Alright. Listen, hum… May brought a girl in. What ? No, not hostile. Yes. She was injured. Yes. Okay. We’ll wait until you are here. Yes, she is awake. Okay. »  
Rose’s eyes narrows at the boy’s words. When he hangs up, she asks the question burning her lips since she woke up.  
« Where am I ? »  
« Oh ! yes, of course, how rude of me ! » says the cheery brunette, her accent remembering Rose of Peggy.  
« You are in a base, owned by SHIELD, and you’re safe here. I’m Jemma Simmons and this is Leo Fitz. One of our agent found you while on a mission » the girl says, the boy waving a hand at her when she looks at him.  
« What… What is SHIELD ? »  
« It’s a secret organization, protect the people and blah blah blah, all that. »  
« Like the SSR then. »  
The two young people look at each other, a frown creasing their foreheads.  
« Hum, miss, the SSR… »  
« Yes, call them, ask Peggy or Howard to come get me, tell them I’m okay. »  
« Miss… The SSR… it doesn’t exists anymore… »  
« What ? » Says Rose, the breath knocked out of her by those words.  
« Yes, it was dismantled a year after the war… and SHIELD was created. »

Rose is positive that she is going to be sick. Until a word registers. Then she is frightened. 

« After the war ? »  
« What ? »  
« She said the SSR was dismantled after the war. »  
« Yes, it was. »  
« How long ago was that ? »  
« Sorry ? »  
« How long ago was the war ? »  
« Miss, are you alright ? »  
« No. Answer me. »  
Rose is raising from the bed, propping herself on her elbows to look at the two young people who are currently taking a few steps away from her, backing toward the door.  
« Miss, I don’t… »  
« Second World War ended in 1945… »  
« Fitz ! » chastises the young woman, but her remark doesn’t faze the man at her side.  
« … And it was 69 years ago… »  
Rose looks at the two of them, before exploding in laughter. The two look at her, then themselves. As the brunette’s laugh is quieting down, they look at her again, stopping whatever silent conversation they were having.  
« Miss, are you… »  
Their concern sobers Rose up, and it surprises the two scientists as much as her outburst did.  
« 69 years ? are you sure ? »  
« Yes. »

Rose looks at them, trying to see the lie in their faces, but instead she only finds concerns, confusion, and fear. 

 

When Coulson finally steps in the lab, about twenty minutes later, Rose is huddled on the floor, clearly in shock, Simmons kneeling in front of the other woman trying to calm her, while Fitz is looking at the two of them, mouth hanging wide open.

« What the hell happened » the older man asks Fitz. He is looking at both women huddled beside the bed, and when she hears his voice Jemma finally moves, her revealing the face of Rose, hidden by Jemma until now.  
When Coulson sees her tear streaked face, he suddenly pales, and takes a step toward the young woman, stopping once more when he sees her eyes, as she raises her head to see him.

« Shit » he mutters under his breath. It is barely audible, and yet, in the heavy silence, it is almost as if he had just shouted the word.  
He closes the distance to the young woman, and kneels down in front of her, taking her face in one his of hand, the other resting on her shoulder.  
The four agents, standing next to each other toward the glass wall, can only look, bewildered. Coulson’s voice, his tone, is what surprises them the most. They never heard him being so caring, so heartbroken, so protective, so gently toward anyone. But it is his words that shock them, and make them all wonder who exactly is that girl.

« You’re safe. You’re safe Rose. You’re safe… »

The girl’s eyes widen when he uses her name, she stills for a moment, before throwing herself in his arms, like a child would, and cries on his shoulder, fists tangling in his blazer and his shirt, her whole body entangling with his, as if he was the only thing keeping her from drowning.

Feeling as if they are intruding on a particularly intimate moment, though they don’t know exactly why they feel like that, the team leave the room, leaving Coulson and Rose alone.  
May is waiting for them upstairs, a knowing look on her face, the absence of Coulson confirming her doubts about the girl’s identity.

« What was that ? Who the hell is she ? » asks Skye  
« That was a young woman, panicking »  
« Yeah, okay, but she didn’t know the date, May »  
« Yes, it was weird almost like… » Jemma’s eyes lit up, and she looks at Fitz with wide eyes, as Koening, who just strutted in the room, look at them with a smile, silently watching the exchange.  
« Oh no… Is she… »  
« Possibly… »  
« Fitz ! you saw her ! she even asked after the two founders of SHIELD ! It has to be ! »  
« Herrrm. Mind sharing ? »  
« The girl downstairs » starts Fitz « She is a legend, and a phantom, a secret of SHIELD »  
May frowns at that.  
« I have never read anything about her. »  
« Yeah… that is because only level 10 can access her real file…  
« But they didn’t erased her out of every documents available to the lower levels. She was mentioned here and there in the most dusty files of the archives. It could easily be missed, but I found it weird when I saw her name in one of the file I was reading for SHIELD history class without anything related to it… We looked for her. Really, really, looked. And yet, nothing. »  
« Still lost here » says Skye  
Koening steps in then, and shocks everyone.  
« You know how we found Captain America in the ice and everything, right ? »  
« Yes… »  
« That girl, she was on the Valkyrie with Steve Rogers when he crashed it. »  
Satisfied with the effect his words just had on the remaining SHIELD team, he plops down on a couch, smiling like a Mona Lisa.  
« She was Hydra ? » asks Skye, in an alarmed voice  
« No »  
They all turn to Coulson, who is standing behind them, Rose asleep in his arms. He clearly carried her from the lab to the conference room, and though he didn’t broke a sweat, he looks more tired than when he came back from his previous mission, the emotions taking their toll on him.  
« She is not Hydra. She is one of us »  
« Then how come she wasn’t recovered when the Captain was ? »  
« I don’t know. I have no idea how our team could miss her… » Coulson says out loud, gently putting the sleeping girl on the one of the couches.  
« Anyway, who is she ? »  
The younger agents turn their gaze to Coulson, and even May looks at him clearly expecting an answer to that question.  
He sighs, and plops down on the armchair, facing his team.  
« When I was a kid, I loved Captain America. I was a big fan. When I joined SHIELD, I started reading everything and anything I could about him. Every file or document we had about the time he was with SHIELD. When I started getting higher levels, I found that more and more material was available to me. I kept on reading. I was first agent on site when we found him. Brought him back to the base, visited him while he defrosted… When Fury told me I would be a part of the Avengers Initiative, and that I had to fly in with Steve Rogers, I lost it. I asked him a lot of questions, about him, the Commando, the war… at some point, before Loki broke free, he asked me about a cellist he overheard Stark and I talking about. We talked about it a bit, and then he told me about a girl he loved back then. I asked more about her. He showed me a picture of her. Hell, he even showed me her engagement ring. »  
« Whaow… » breaths in Skye, while Fitz throws an arm around Simmons, who leans in her friend’s side.  
« Yes. Rogers… he still loves her. He also thinks he is responsible for her death. Everyone at SHIELD told him she had died. »  
« Oh my god »  
Coulson gets back on his feet, and comes to kneel near Rose’s sleeping form, gently caressing her hair.  
« So… does this mean that… »  
« She is Captain America’s girlfriend ? Wait, no, engagement, so… She is his fiancee ? »  
« Yes »  
Skye squeals in joy, smiling like a fool.  
Oh my god !! We have Captain America’s fiancee on our couch ! »

They two young women look at Rose in awe, eyes glowing, while Fitz look at her curiously. May just crosses her arms over her chest, a small smile on her lips as she looks down at the young asleep woman.  
The team members leave the room to debrief the mission, letting the brunette rest in the room.  
A few hours later, they come back, to find Rose still in the couch, not having move from where she was. May goes to the cockpit, Fitz says tinkers in a corner, while Jemma and Skye read some files and talk. Coulson is sitting on the couch, next to Rose’s head, and starts stroking her long brown wavy hair as she keeps sleeping, the older agent reading a book with his free hand. When Skye starts laughing at something Jemma tells her, Rose starts waking up, grabbing Coulson’s jacket and bringing it closer to her chin, burying her face in the couch’s cushions.

« Just five more minutes dad… »

The rest of the team can’t help themselves and start laughing.

When Rose opens her eyes, and sees everyone around her, she sits up, and blushes.

« Sorry, I was… hm… I… »  
« It’s alright. »  
« oh… hum, I want to say, I’m… I’m sorry for earlier. »

She looks up at Phil and smiles, the agent putting a reassuring hand on her back when he sees his team unconsciously inching closer to her, no longer able to refrain their excitement as she is up.

« So, I gather you know me, right ? Seeing as you called me by my name down there… »  
« Yes… »  
« How do you know me, by the way ? »  
« Ste… a friend told me about you. »  
« Seems fair. So… I guess you have questions for me, right ? »  
They all laugh, and May and Ward suddenly appears out of thin air, each in one side of the room, just in time.  
« Who are you exactly ? »  
Skye clamps a hand over her mouth, Rose chuckling lightly.  
« Sorry, I… »  
« I don’t mind, but I’m surprised you didn’t read a file about me already. »  
« We tried to find informations about you, but there wasn’t a lot… »  
« I guess the boys and Peggy didn’t want to involve my name in any of this… I was kept a secret by the SSR for quite some time before the crash. What do you want to know exactly ? »  
« Everything ? »  
« Alright. Well, I am French. I was born on the boat that brought my parents to New York. My mother died in childbirth, and my father raised me in Brooklyn. He was an engineer. I studied biology after I got my high school diploma, and eventually picked up skills here and there and became a medic for the Howling Commando. »  
By that point, the pairs of eyes train on her are as wide as saucers, and May is no exception.  
« You asked for Peggy downstairs… how did you meet agent Carter ? » asks Jemma  
« That is complicated… When I was a teenager, I met two boys, Steve and Bucky, and when the war broke they enlisted. Bucky left first. Steve was selected by a scientist, Abraham Erskine, who was working on a super soldier serum. » The young woman’s eyes are filled with sadness as she mentions the names of the three men, but it is only for a fleeting moment.  
« Yeah, we know if him. Steve Rogers was the first and only subject it worked on, right ? »  
« Yes. I have to ask, was I mentioned in any of the files related to the program ? »  
« No, I checked. » says Coulson « Your name is in there, but it is your father’s. »  
« Oh. Well, I expected it. »  
« Wait, you worked on it ? »  
« The serum ? Yes. »  
« What ? But, but… how ? »  
« I was with Steve when Erskine approved him. We talked a bit. I had worked on his thesis and researched his work in biology, and he asked me to come to the training camp with Steve. »  
« Oh god… » Fitz and Simmons are looking at her like she is the messiah, and seem ready to kiss the ground she walks on. Coulson and May, on the other hand, are looking at each other in worry.  
« I came to camp with Steve, and I met Peggy when I arrived. We became fast-friends… Do you know… If she… if she is still alive ? And Howard, Howard Stark ? And, the commando ? What happened to the boys ? »  
« Rose, I’m not sure… »  
« Please. I need to know. »  
« Howard Stark… died in a car accident with his wife. He has a son, Tony, who worked with us for some time…  
« As for the Commando… Morita and Falsworth are dead… And the others are retired. Agent Carter… Agent Carter is alive, but… »  
« She is in a hospital… She has moments, when she doesn’t remember people or events, what she did in the morning, if she ate… »  
« Oh Margaret… » Rose says, tears gathering in her eyes, her voice strangled. She is taking it all in strides, her breathing heavy but not uncontrollable.  
« Steve visits her, every now and then, you know »  
Coulson’s voice his kind and low, but Rose feels as if a bucket of icy water was just been poured on her. Tears disappear, and she forgets to breath for a moment.  
« What ? Steve is… »  
« He is alive. »  
Rose looks shocked, eyes wide, and mouth open in an O of surprise before a wide, genuine smile appears on her face.  
« Thank god… they told me he was dead… »  
« They ? »  
Rose hesitates. She decides she can’t take the risk to endanger these people. « I don’t know who they are, but they have money, and quite a few men… »

The whole room tenses and Rose burrows further into Coulson’s side as she feels the atmosphere in the room suddenly shifting.

« Do you know… »  
« For how long ? No. But… whenever they… woke me… the machines didn’t change a lot from the first time, so not long I guess… »  
« How did you… »

The coms start ringing at that moment, cutting May in the middle of her question. Coulson gets up, and answers with a dry tone. His eyes however, shift from business like to worried, and Rose even wonder if there isn’t some fear in those eyes too…

« We’ll be there »  
« Coulson ? »  
« That was Agent Garrett… »  
« Is he okay ? What happened ? » asks Ward, worried  
« We need to get his team. Deathlock found their safe house. »


	11. Chapter 11

While Agent Hand, Blake, Garret, Sitwell and Triplett board the Bus, Coulson welcoming them aboard, Skye, Fitz and Simmons were briefing Rose on what was going to happen from now on.  
« They can’t see you yet. Coulson doesn’t want anyone to know about you until he gets the names of the people that held you. And… »  
« He doesn’t trust the people coming ? »  
« It’s more along the lines of he trusts only the team to not want to lock you up and conveniently forgetting to tell the Cap that you’ve been found. »  
« Oh… right. So, what’s gonna happen ? »  
« Well, you’ll stay in one of the quarters. We’ll lock it, and no one but you, Coulson and the three of us will be able to unlock it. »  
« Ward ? »  
« Garrett was his SO »  
« Oh. What am I supposed to do ? »  
« Catch up on History. I uploaded all the major events since 1944, in detail, as well as movies and music. Simmons also made me upload all the advances in biology since you stopped studying it. »  
« Thank you Sky. »  
Rose steps in front of the hacker girl, and wraps her in a hug, before stepping back and doing the same with the two scientists.  
« And you too. »

When the door closes and it locks, Rose lets herself fall on the bed.  
« Let’s hide then » she whispers.  
When she spread her arms on the bed, her elbow hits something hard, hidden under the cover. When she pushes the blanket, she finds a black rectangle, with a post-it saying ‘A little something else - Skye’. Rose pushes the only button of the rectangle and it lights up. Small squares with different designs appear on the screen, one of them jumping up and down. Rose clicks on it, and a video of Skye appears on the screen.

« Hey ! So, you’re being debriefed by Coulson now, so I have enough time to do this. That is table. It is tactile, you touch it and it follows what you want to do… Just so you know, it’s a Stark tablet, made by Howard’s son. So, either way, here we are. I uploaded the files you would like to see, like the Cap’s, and all the things related to him since he woke up… There is also an access to the cameras inside the Bus, you open it here and… »  
The Skye on the video shows the icons and then proceeds to explain them all to Rose. Once she is finished with all the little squares, she explains that she set up the « beginner’s guide » in all of them so that Rose will have the basics.  
« And remember, if you need any help with it, send me a mail and I’ll come to your bunk, but don’t come out, okay ? Bye Rose »

The Skye on the screen disappears, and Rose is left with more questions than anything else.

She decides to study the files that Skye gave her, and opens the little « History » file first. She reads about these events, the Watergate, the KGB, the cold war, Vietnam, Irak and Afghanistan… She can’t help but feel helpless : the war that was supposed to be the last, all they did to ensure it would be the last, all for nothing.

When she finishes catching up on history, she open the « SHIELD » file.  
Informations about anyone and everyone she might to want to know more about is in it, and she goes through each of them, starting with Peggy and Howard’s. She carefully leaves the most important one on the side, not ready to read about him yet.  
She learn more about Howard, his wife Maria, how he died in a car accident, who is son is, what he has been through, and what he did since. She laughs a little when she watches the short video taken from the press conference where he declares « I am Iron Man ».

« Just like Howard… » she says out loud, still chuckling.

She goes through each of them : Erskine’s file, Peggy’s, the General’s…  
When she read Bucky’s she frown when she sees the stamp « Deceased » across the front page. How could they not know he was alive ? or why ?  
As she keeps on reading, she writes down all the questions she comes up with.

When she finishes the personal files, she reads the others.  
She learns about SHIELD’s creation, how Peggy and Howard led it, what they did… When she finishes with its history, she clicks on the Avengers Initiative file. She cringes as she reads what happened. The god of mischief invading Manhattan with an alien army ? Really ? What makes her frown eve, more is the part where a nuclear missile was launched on the city, and how Iron Man (Howard’s son, she keeps repeating herself. Anthony Stark) sent it through the cosmic portal and nearly died saving his teammates, the town and its inhabitants.  
She decided she will have to have some words with this council if she ever crosses their path.

When there is nothing left to read about, she sighs and sets the tablet down. She still isn’t ready to read about Steve. She fears what she might find in it.

After a while though, she takes the tablet and clicks on the file. The first thing she sees is his picture. Steve before the serum, scrawny Steve. Her Steve. As she keeps reading, she feels the tears building up. When she finishes reading about the psych analysis after the thawing, she lets them fall. The things these people asked, they aren’t correct. Why would they ask about how many girls he bedded, or what he thought of the tour girls ? She is surprised he let so many of them even near him after the first one. When the reports stops though, the slip only mentions that he didn’t felt at ease, and should he feel like talking he will find someone competent to help him. When she reads that he moved in with Anthony Stark for a couple of months, she thinks that they may have helped each other in more ways than just one offering shelter to the other.

When she sees he has recently been reassigned to DC and is working on some important high risk missions, she can’t help cut feel angry toward Fury. She knows who he his thanks to his file, and from what she read she doesn’t like who he is and what he turned SHIELD into. He twisted the vision Peggy and Howard had of it, all their hard work, in favor of secrets and lies…

When she finally finishes her reading, she notices she spent the rest of the previous day, and a good part of the night reading. From what the clock reads, the sun is about to rise.

She sits on the bed, legs crossed, throws the plaid on her shoulders and raises the little blind that’s in front of the small aircraft window. Cup of tea in hand (thanks to Simmons and the electric kettle she put in her room), Rose watches her first sunrise since she escaped the base. She puts on some music, her favorite, Moonlight Serenade. 

That morning, with jazz music as background, freedom tastes like earl grey, with a dash of honey.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi ! Sorry I didn't update sooner, but you know... finals, uni, family, life... they happen.  
> So forgive me for the wait ! I promise I'll update more when I'll be on holidays (end of the month) but for the moment I'll try to keep a chapter per week ratio.  
> I'd also like to thank everyone for their comments ! It's very kind and I really appreciate it.
> 
> Hope you like n°12 ! 
> 
> xoxo

The first day « in hiding » went relatively well. No one tried to open her door, and no one asked questions.  
The second was a little tougher : Rose was getting restless (there is only so much you can do in a 2 by 3 room).  
The third is a total disaster. The teams come back from their separate mission battered, and one of the senior agent that boarded the plane before isn’t here at all. Dead, from what Rose understands of Skye’s debrief. The two of them and Jemma are in Rose’s bunk, the three girls taking comfort in the presence of the other. The day had been rough on all of them.  
They talked about the mission, both agent explaining everything to Rose : Mike Peterson, his son, the Centipede project… the bad guys, how Skye was shot and almost died… They told her about what they thought happened, and how they were supposed to go to base to retrieve intel, ammunitions and debrief with HQ.

After a couple of hours (a few cups of coffee or tea), the two women exit Rose’s room, feeling better… Only to end up face to face with Victoria Hand, who is, needless to say, very unhappy that Coulson didn’t mention a mysterious girl living in with the team. Before she can get a better look at the girl though, the door locks back in place.

« Agents »  
« Agent Hand, we… »  
« No. I don’t want to hear excuses. Just answer my questions. »  
« Yes madam »  
« Is that girl an agent ? »  
« Hmmmmm… »  
« I need a better answer than that if you don’t want to be locked away in the Fridge for an exten… »

The door opens again, and Rose steps in from behind her two friends.

« Jemma. Skye. Go find Phil, and tell everyone to meet up here. »  
Rose voice is controlled, and she puts her hands on each girl’s back, the gesture reassuring. She find their eyes, and nods to them.  
« But… »  
« Everything will be okay, I promise. Go find Coulson and May. »

The two women leave the room in a hurried pace, running to their boss as soon as the door closes behind them. When Rose turns back to Hand, she looks like a mother bear ready to defend her cubs.

« Agent Hand. If you have questions to ask I’d appreciate it if you didn’t scare people I care about with threats… Else I might have to make some of my own. »  
« You know who I am then. I can’t say the same about you »  
« That would have surprised me. Only a few know, or, well, knew me »  
« And who, may I ask ? »  
« Howard Stark, Margaret Carter, General Philips… the members of the Howling Commando, and some members from the SSR, to name a few »  
« Don’t play with me, little girl. The SSR disappeared decades before you were born. »  
« Actually, it disappeared about 25 after I was born »  
« That’s impossible »  
« Really ? »  
« Yeah. I’m not stupid. You are not a ninety something years old. »  
« And you never met, or heard of anyone else that didn’t appear his age ? »

Victoria Hand looks at her closely through her glasses, her posture changing slightly to relatively at ease to one that screams ‘defence’.

« I know of only one case. Steve Rogers. »  
« Yes. I was with him when… »  
« There is no record of anyone being with him on the Valkyrie »  
« Yes… Peggy did a wonder of making me disappear from the ‘official’ files… Did you get the ones with bits of red here and there ? And a big chunk of black in the middle of a picture of the Howling Commando ? »  
« How do you … »  
« Coulson gave me the files. Only he, an agent named Maria Hill and a man, Fury, got the… uncensored versions of what happened at the time… Did you even know I had a file ? With my name on it, a ‘TOP SECRET’ red inked stamp across it and on nearly every page… Level 10 clearance. I was almost scared to open it. At first I thought it was a file about Schmidt, or something like that… »

All of a sudden, footsteps are heard, and a very red but relieved Coulson enters the room, followed by the others agents and ‘guests’ in the Bus.

« Agent Hand. Would you mind getting away from miss Roy ? »  
« As soon as you tell me who she is, Phil. »  
« Would you mind explaining ? »  
« Back away, Victoria, and I’ll tell you. Why don’t we sit down ? »  
« Good idea Phil. But I think I am the one that has some explaining to do. Even to you… »  
« Rose… »  
« Wait… Rose Roy ? »  
Everyone turns back to Sitwell, who squirms under the weight of everyone’s gazes on him.  
« Yes. It’s me. »  
Rose squints her eyes at the man, but motions to the team to not move and go along. As May was about ready to pounce on the little bald man, Coulson had to (discreetly) calm her down and made her sit next to him, on the arms of the chair.

« My name is Rose Roy. I was frozen about 70 years ago, along with Steve. I mean, Captain America. He was also my fiancé. I had been working with him before the attack on Schmidt’s base and our… accident. We were recovered, but apparently not taken by the same people… SHIELD got him, and I ended up… »  
« With who ? »  
« I don’t know. »  
« What do these mysterious people want from you ? »  
« I don’t know. »  
« Could you identify the men that took you if you met them ? »  
« Some of them, I think so yes »  
« Coulson. I understand you wanted to protect to girl, but I don’t think she can stay here with you. I’m taking her with me to the Triskelion. Fury has to know you found her. »  
« No. »  
« What ? »  
« I’m not going to just let you take her… »  
« Phil »  
Rose’s voice is soft, and her hands on Phil’s forearm light. Her eyes though, they are a mix of sadness and resolve.  
« Rose, you can’t… »  
« I have to. If only to personally tell Fury what I think of him. And there is Steve there, too. I can’t stay away from him any longer. It’s to hard to… know he is out there, and we are not together… »  
« I understand. »

A few hours later, the team gets ready for the landing and the stay in HQ. Rose is packing when she hears a soft knock on her door, and it slides open moments later, revealing Phil and Jemma.  
The two women hug tightly, before Rose lets go of the scientist, putting some strands back in her hairdo.  
« Between you and Coulson I feel like I’m a kid on trip with her parents… »  
« But you love it. And cut me some slack ok ? I could be your grandmother, my mothering is allowed »  
« Alright grandma. »  
« Thank you. Now, I didn’t asked you to come for a hug. »  
« What is it ? »  
« The man, Sitwell, something is wrong with him. »  
« Why do you… »  
« I feel it. Whoever he is, he couldn’t have read my file. »  
« I see. »  
« What do you need us for then ? »  
« Jemma, I need you to plant a tracker on me. »  
« Okay. Come by the lab before you leave. »  
« No problem. I have to say goodbye to Leo. Coulson ? »  
« What do you need me for ? »  
« You need to warn Fury that I’m coming… and I need to tell you something. You’ll have to tell the team, okay ? Both of you. »  
« Alright… » Jemma says, looking lost  
« I know who took me. It was HYDRA. »  
« No, it is impossible, Hydra fell after the Valkyrie crashed and Schmidt’s death… »  
« You know their motto, don’t you ? Cut off one head… »  
« And two shall take its place… » finishes Coulson, his voice low and threatening.  
« And I assume you know what they want ? »  
« Yes. They want what I know about the serum. »  
« Did you gave them anything ? »  
« No. They can never get their hands on it. »  
« Rose ? Do you really think Sitwell is involved ? »  
« He has to be involved in some way… Which is why I have to go with him. He’ll be forced to bring me to Fury if he knows the man is expecting me, and from then on I’ll get to Steve and we’ll go get Bucky. »  
« Bucky ? Bucky Barnes ? »  
« Yes. You didn’t really though a wounded woman with a high dose of drugs in her system made it out a heavily guarded facility on her own, did you ? »  
« I found it strange, but… Bucky Barnes… God… »  
« I know… » 

While the three of them speak in Rose’s room, no one is watching as Sitwell slips into an empty part of the plane to make a call. And why would they ? They have no reason to doubt him after all…

« Sir ? Yes, I found her. I’ll bring her to you as soon as I can… But we have to set everything in motion now… Yes sir. I’ll catch the first plane. »

And so, when Rose says goodbye to everyone (promising Skye to mail and call) and climbs into the black SUV Sitwell is already in, she has doubts, and she thinks herself ready. But, as she soon would find out, her expectations of the worst thing that could happen had to be revised, and lowered a few notches


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for the delay !! I have no excuses... stone me if you want to...  
> Introducing here SHIELD HQ in DC, and one surprise for a certain falcon.
> 
> Again, I (sadly enough) own nothing.

« Fury is what ? »  
« Director Fury was attacked. We have to reroute. I’ll bring you to HQ, to the council. »  
« Alright… could we… maybe… swing by the hospital Fury is in ? I… I’d like to see him. »  
« I’m sure it won’t be a problem. But we can’t stay too long. »  
« Understood. Thank you. »

When Rose and Sitwell enter the wing Fury is being operated on, they see the armed SHIELD agents in the corridors, the doctors and nurses running frantically around the place. Sitwell leaves her on her own for a few minutes to go get some informations from an agent, and Rose decides to try to find the room the director is in, if only to observe what is happening. Before she can find it though, footsteps come behind her, and before she can register what happened Rose is being pushed against a wall, a gun pointed at her head.

« Came back to finish the job ? »  
« No… ally… Coulson… »

At the mention of the agent’s name, the brunette releases her, and steps back.

« How do you know Phil Coulson? »  
« He found me. I was supposed to see Fury today… »  
« Oh my god… You’re Rose. »  
« Yes… And I guess you are Maria Hill then ? »  
« Yes. I’ll bring you to the director, follow me. »

The two women walk in the hospital’s corridors, agents looking quizzically at Rose as she follows Maria, who flashes her SHIELD badge, the agent filling her in in regards to what happened earlier. When they arrive to a window separating the corridor from the operation room, Rose’s heart nearly breaks. Here he is, Nicholas Fury, director of S.H.I.E.L.D, the man she had wanted to yell at ever since she finished reading his file and about the things he did, which she is sure were just the tip of the iceberg. But now ? Now Rose just want to burst into the room and help him, however she can. Focusing on the screens’ readings and the doctors’ movements, Rose doesn’t hear Maria’s first sentence, and it is the woman’s hand on her shoulder that brings her back from her mind.

« Sorry, I was list in thoughts… What were you saying ? »  
« I was asking you if you still wanted S.H.I.E.L.D to take you in. Fury was about to offer you protection as soon as you would have met anyway. But I would understand if you are… worried that we wouldn’t be able to ensure your safety now that the director is not… »  
« Don’t say that. S.H.I.E.L.D has a way to not let his people die when they can help it, and I have a feeling the director isn’t going to be giving up now. »  
« A feeling ? »  
« Yes. Now tell me, what is really happening here ? »  
« I’m sorry, what ? »  
« That machine there » said Rose, pointing at a rather impressive piece of machinery monitoring Fury’s vital functions. « The readings were all right until the doctor injected him with some white, opaque liquid. The only thing that went wrong after he did it is the heartbeat slowing down. Some crashing, involved with the trauma, as to be expected. But everything else is fine. So tell me, why is the director so worried about that he need to fake his own death ? »

Both women look at each other warily for a moment, before Hill signaled for a man to come closer.

« Take her to HQ »  
« Ma’am ? »  
« Tell security she has my clearance and Coulson’s. »

The bulky man nods, and shows Rose the way out, through another door at the far end of the corridor. Just as she steps through, she heats the loud footsteps of what must be a man running. When he finally comes to the spot she was in a few minutes earlier, Rose catches a good glimpse of the man, and her breath catches. Steve.  
As the door is about to close, the agent in gear grabs a hold of her wrist, preventing her from getting to the super-soldier. He closes the door, his eyes showing pity for her, and in the last few minutes before it shuts, she locks with Maria, the woman looking at her with a sorry gaze.

Taken aback by what just happened, Rose follows the man without a word. When they reach the garage though, she snaps out of it.

« What was this about ? »   
« Sorry miss, orders of… »  
« Why am I not allowed to see Steve ? »  
« I can’t tell you until we’re at HQ »  
« Another agent, Sitwell, I came with him, he was supposed to take me »  
« Then you’ll probably see him there too »  
« I guess so yeah… Nut could you call him ? I don’t want him to panic if he can’t find me in the hospital… »

The man turns and smiles a soft, reassuring smile at her.

« Agent Hill probably already took care of it. Don’t worry miss. »  
« Thank you »

They stop in front of a black SUV, and the agent opens the door for Rose, offering his hand as support for her to climb in more easily. They drive for what seems like hours, when it is really just about 20 minutes, and park in front of a big building made of glass. Rose follows, the man, who got out of the car and told her to follow him through the building.  
He leads her to an elevator, and scans his badge to access what appears to be the last floor.

Rose gasps when the elevator starts moving and she realizes that it is made of glass. Involuntarily, she grasps the man’s arm, who just chuckles and lets her do as she wishes. After a couple of seconds Rose’s hold on the man’s arm weakens and she lets go, her hands falling to her side, a barely audible ‘thank you’ escaping her lips, her cheeks red from embarrassment. She fought in a war, dammit ! A glass elevator shouldn’t have made her jump like that…  
When the elevator finally arrives at the last floor, the man smiles at her once more.  
« You have to walk in, turn left and then ask the secretary to let you in. »  
« Thank you… »

Without a goodbye, the man pushes the buttons to the lower floors, and the elevator lowers down, leaving Rose alone.  
« Okay » she says taking in a deep breath.

As she walks, she repeats in her head, like a mantra « It’s alright, you’ll see Steve in no time. Everything is fine ». But the words aren’t enough to make the sick feeling that she has disappear. While she truly hopes that everything will be alright, she can’t help but think that everything is wrong. She tries to recall what she learnt about Pierce when the desk lady says his name, adding he will be ready to receive her in a few minutes. Nothing comes to her. No photo, no intel, nothing.   
When the secretary tells her that ‘he is ready to you see you now’, Rose breathes in deep, gathers her courage to fight that unsettling feeling that makes her sick, walks into the room…

…And comes face to face with the man she saw while in the Hydra compound.

« You ?! »  
« Ah, miss Roy. I see you’ve found my office »  
« Your… Your office ? You are Pierce ?! »  
« Why yes, that is my name. »  
« But… But… »  
« I understand that you are confused. I would like to start things over between us. Clean slate. »  
« You tortured me. You tortured Bucky, kept him in captivity for god knows how long ! And you want to start over ? Are you insane ?! »  
« I did order your torture, because at the time it seemed to be the only way I could get what I want. And I know that you weren’t going to give up informations about Erskine’s serum unless we used… drastic methods. »  
« Even if you kill me I am not going to give you informations about the serum. »  
« Well, you see, miss Roy, I knew you’d say something like that. Which is why I had some… adjustment, made to insure your compliance. Look for yourself »

He then moves and pushes a button on his desk, and suddenly images appear into the space surrounding his desk. ‘Hologram’ Rose remembers.  
Pierce then extends his arm and invites her to come closer and look at the what is being projected. In one area, she sees Steve, walking through the base. On the other, she sees men gearing up in a locker room, arming themselves. In a third, the sees Bucky, slumped on a chair, seemingly asleep. ‘Probably exhausted after being tortured and wiped…’ Rose thinks as her heart sinks. As much as she wants to face Pierce, she can’t tear her eyes away from the images.

« Why are you showing me this ? »  
« I think you are smart enough to guess it yourself. But, just in case, here is a clue. »

Sound is turned on, and Rose hears the noise Steve’s makes while walking, she hears Bucky heavy breathing, and the men arming themselves laugh. Suddenly she spots the man that tortured her in the image, and she focuses on it, and on what he says. He seems to be some kind of leading figure. When he sheaths his knife, the one that sliced her skin only a couple of weeks ago, she shivers. He suddenly clears his throat, and his men all stop and look at him expectantly.

« You know the mission. Whatever happens, we can’t let him escape. Our objective is capture. So lets go get that stars and stripes asshole. Hail Hydra ! »  
« Hail Hydra ! » responds all the men in the room.

Rose blood freezes, and when she turns her head to face the gray haired man next to her she notice this huge grin of his. He thinks he has won.

« So, miss Roy, are you willing to help us now ? »

Rose knows she is trapped. It is very clear what he intends to do. But she really has no choice.

« No »  
« What ? »  
« I won’t help you. You need me to recreate the serum, and for that to happen you need a live subject I can draw blood from. While you probably injected Bucky with something that…enhanced his physical abilities, I know you don’t have the original formula. As the serum only survives as its host does, killing Steve means destroying the serum. So, no, I won’t help you, because me helping you means condemning Steve and probably Bucky too. »

Pierce smiles at her answer, and she can’t help but feel like a trapped mouse in front of a very big, very hungry and very scary cat.

« Alive, yes. But there are many ways to keep someone alive while having… fun. You saw that firsthand, didn't you ? »

Before she can react, Rose is being manhandled by a goon that appeared out of nowhere, and the young woman is being forcefully led back to the elevator, and into the lower levels.  
When they reach the parking area, after changing buildings and going through deserted hallways, Rose finally has an opening to take him out.  
Has the man stops next to a car, he lets her arm go for a few moments, fumbling for the keys.   
Before the man has a chance to turn and fight Rose knocks him on the side of the head, hard enough to disorient him for a few moments, buying her the time and opportunity she needs to escape from this madhouse and find out the truth.  
Running in between the cars, she tries the doors, hoping to find one unlocked. But what was true during war in the 40’s isn’t true in the 2010’s, and she resolves to breaking a car’s door and hot-wiring it to get out.

She barrels through the garage, tires screeching, motor roaring and she doesn’t even slows down when she sees the identification point, just drives right through it.  
When she nears the weird bridge part though, things get messy. Agents try to stop her, they fire at her, shattering her windshield and going through the doors. None of them are aimed directly at her head : they don’t want to take her out, just stop her. But even though she now has a bullet in her shoulder, Rose is determined not to stop the car, in any circumstances.

When she doesn’t see any agents behind her, any car or motorbike that looks suspicious, Rose parks the car she stole (a little deep blue car) in a back alley, leaving the keys in the ignition for someone to find and hopefully stole, as it would buy her some time. Carefully, watching her surroundings, Rose walks the streets, holding her shoulder that still bleeds profusely, trying to find a drug store. When she does, she realizes that she doesn’t has any money with her, and resorts to walking until she finds a safe place to try and treat her shoulder as best as she could. She knows that staying injured in public spaces will only make others suspicious, which is a huge change to what she has been accustomed to in the 40’s, when a stranger would offer help instead of calling the police… After an hour or so, the bleeding has stopped, Rose pressing her jacket to her wound with as much pressure as she can. She is lucky : there was no real damage done to her bones, and from what she saw when checking it earlier it should heal nicely enough. But the brunette knows that while she was lucky the bullet didn’t do more damage, she has lost a lot of blood. Her vision starts swarming when she reaches the outskirts of the inner city, where she encounters fewer and fewer people. The more she walks, the more houses she sees, or at least she can make the shapes out. Exhausted, she knows she won’t be able to go much further, and so the young lady walks in someone’s backyard, and goes through the back door, which was thankfully not locked. She walks around the house a little, before crashing down on the couch, minutes before passing out. She doesn’t even wakes up when a key turns in the front door’s lock, and doesn’t move when a man walks in.

 

When Sam Wilson comes home, hands full with grocery bags, he doesn’t see the girl lying on his couch. Once he safely deposits the bags on the kitchen counter though, what he does notice is his backdoor wide open. He takes a moment to assess the situation, and carefully walks back in the living room. What he sees there is surprises him. A small woman, seemingly asleep, is on his couch, her shoulder bloodied. He rushes to her side, taking her pulse, before breathing in relief when he finds one. He then carefully peels her t-shirt shoulder off, thankful for the boat neckline, to check on the wound. When he puts his hand next to what he believes to be a bullet hole, she twitches slightly in her sleep. As he turns her to see if there is an exit hole in her back, she whimpers, and when he looks at her face again he sees two wide green eyes staring at him in fear and, at the same time, wonder.

« Hello there » says Sam, using the same gentle tone he employed when he was in group sessions with the vets. « Can you tell me what happened to you ? »

Rose only shook her head, not wanting to involve the man in her Hydra related problem any more than she already had.

« Okay. Do you want me to call the hospital ? »

Once again, Rose shook her head. Hospitals meant patient registering, and they probably placed an alert for any woman coming in for a shoulder wound. 

« Do you want me to call anyone though ? »

Rose thinks for a moment. She couldn’t call Steve because she didn’t had his contact, and she couldn’t call Peggy or the SSR because they were, well, not there anymore. If only Howard was still there… And then flashbacks from what she read while on the Bus with Coulson’s team come back to her.

Howard, he had dies with his Maria, yes, but he had had a son, didn’t he ?

« Can you… do you know how to contact Tony Stark ? »


End file.
